


Very Fairy

by Nakasawa444



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Fantasy, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Slice of Life, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:35:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 141,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24304525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nakasawa444/pseuds/Nakasawa444
Summary: High school student Jinyoung is a good person and good people get a reward from the universe. So a fairy drops by to carry out that mission. But his personal fairy has to face unforeknown challenges to fulfill his wish. What happens when a very ambitious Jinyoung meets the slightly reluctant fairy boy Mark? In the end everything happens for a reason and everything happens in the most unexpected way.
Relationships: Park Jinyoung/Mark Tuan
Comments: 243
Kudos: 241





	1. 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I try something related to fantasy. I hope it doesn't suck. ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

Jinyoung dashes along the empty corridors of his high school. He’s breathless and also on the verge of a panic attack, even though it's not the first time he’s in this situation.

The loud voices of his haunters somewhere behind him are clearly audible, yelling insults and threats. But he has no time to turn around. He has barely time to breathe. Adrenaline is pulsing through his veins, his heartbeat pounds so loud in is ears that it almost drowns out his gasps for air. A trickle of sweat slithers down his forehead. Where to run? Where would he be safe? There’s no way he could keep that chase up for much longer, let alone making it all the way out of the building and off school grounds. All three of his pursuers are athletes after all.

“PARK! STOP RIGHT NOW! YOU FUCKING WIMP!”

“WE GONNA GET YOU ANYWAY!”

“AND THEN YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER OPENED YOUR FUCKING MOUTH IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

These threats just motivate him to move quicker. He knows his only chance is hiding. He bolts down the next corridor as fast as he can, flies down the stairs and flees through another corridor in the hope that he is fast enough to throw off his pursuers. Eventually he squeezes himself into a pile of discarded school desks and chairs, carelessly thrown into a corner at the end of the corridor.

He curses his relatively tall body for being so difficult to hide. He wishes he could make himself as small as an ant. At least Jinyoung attempts to be a little hedgehog as he hugs his legs and presses his face to his knees, trying to slow down his breathing. But how can he be calm when he hears the endless hollering of his name and the thunderous steps of those damn rowdies growing louder, indicating that they come closer to his hideout?

He silently starts to send wishes up to the ceiling. He wishes for a small miracle. Is this too much to ask from the universe? Just let him get out of this without getting hurt. He tried to do good things. He's actually sure he did good things. And now he wishes for a reward. And if this reward would come in the form of mercy, it's all he wants.

By now Jinyoung knows that his attempt to get rid of the bullies didn't work. They are definitely in the same corridor now. Their voices come closer gradually. His only hope is that they won't find him.

“PARK, IF YOU DELIVER YOURSELF WE MIGHT BE FRIENDLY WITH YOU!”

“YEAH, COME OUT, PATHETIC PANSY!”

The mocking voices and the shuffle of shoes close-by make him sink deeper into his hiding spot. He thinks the sound of his rapid heartbeat might be enough to disclose his location. Jinyoung just keeps silently hoping, asking for the universe's grace. He doesn't deserve this. He shouldn't be in this situation again. This can't happen.

His quick prayers are interrupted by a sound, then a motion. The desk in front of him, which hid the biggest part of his body, is dragged away and the sneering faces of his chasers appear.

( ﾟдﾟ)

Jinyoung quietly shuts the door behind himself, glad that he's finally home.

“JINYOUNGIE? IS THAT YOU?”

Shit, he hoped his mom would still be at work. But to deal with those fucking jerks after school was obviously too time-consuming for him to be at home before her.

“YEAH, IT'S ME. I'M GOING UPSTAIRS.”

“AREN'T YOU HUNGRY?”

He hears the sound of her steps coming closer to the hallway.

“NO, I EAT LATER. I DO HOMEWORK FIRST.”

Jinyoung paces up the stairs and only faintly hears the slightly worried sounding “IF YOU SAY SO...”

He was lucky after all. After those jerks discovered him he managed to launch a surprise attack, which they didn't see coming. Jinyoung was able to shove one guy against the wall by pushing his shoulder into his guts when he jumped out of the pile of furniture. The second one was busy with feeling all the pain in the world after Jinyoung brought his knee up hard into his crotch. Only the third one was successful enough to land a fist in his face before Jinyoung was able to push him into the pile of desks and chairs. This gave him enough time to flee the scene ultimately.

Once more he proved to himself that he isn't completely powerless. He can defend himself to a certain extent. But when it's three against one, everything could happen and odds are rarely in his favor. Nevertheless he got away only with a split lip. He tried his best to clean himself on the way home but the area around his lip is swollen and slightly bruised. Most certainly it's nothing he wants his mom to see. Jinyoung hopes it will get better until dinner time rolls around. Otherwise he has to make up another excuse.

Jinyoung washes his face with cold water before he sits down and truly starts to do his homework. He would have done it anyway sooner or later, but he doesn't want what he told his mom to be a lie.

Unfortunately he catches himself getting lost in his thoughts repeatedly. The images of the events today after school are too vivid and Jinyoung can't stop pondering about a potential solution. He has to talk to Jaehyun tomorrow. Maybe this time it would make a change.

Just when he scribbles it down on his to-do list for the next day, something catches his eye. Suddenly a strange blue light appears by the window. What the hell, did his brain take any damage earlier? That can't be. The punch was way too low, but nevertheless the blue light intensifies and starts to sparkle weirdly. Jinyoung jumps up form his desk chair and stumbles backwards. Ridiculous thoughts of sci-fi movies and aliens and men in black suits chase through his head too quickly to let his rationality save him from this rising panic. And suddenly something with a frame similar to a human emerges from the light.

“Aaaaaaahhh, threatening, strange creature please don't kill me!” Jinyoung sputters while he pushes himself flat against the wall of his room, the unlogical idea of becoming one with it suddenly not seeming all that unlogical anymore.

“Yo! Boy, relax. Just what about me is so threatening? The flowers in my hair or the sparkly wings, huh?”

The blue light faded completely and Jinyoung can clearly see what it is that now stands in the middle of his room. It's sort of a guy, looking not necessarily older than himself. But it's not a normal guy. Sure, he wears skinny jeans, a t-shirt and a denim jacket, but the rest of him is so very unusual. His hair is blond and a pretty wreath of blue roses is sitting neatly on it. There's one earring, two strings of glittering diamonds which almost reach down to his shoulder. His face is strikingly handsome. His eyes are deep, brown and sparkly, and little glittery blue stars adorn the area under and beside them. But definitely nothing is more unusual than the baby blue shimmering, semi-transparent wings which spread out behind him.

“Oh my god... what the heck... who are you?”

“Hi, I'm your assigned fairy. My name is-”

“BULLSHIT! What fairy?” Jinyoung yell-whines because he has absolutely no idea what to do. It's probably all in his head. Because this can't be part of reality. But if it's all a product of his imagination, it's very alarming that it feels so true. So no matter if it's real or not, Jinyoung is panicking.

“You don't believe me?”

“SHUT UP!”

“I guess that means you don't believe me,” the glittery boy sighs and rolls his eyes. “So as I was saying, I'm your assigned fai-”

“NO NO NO NO NO!”

“What the fucking hell! Can you let me speak without interrupting me with senseless and rude objections?” he rants, looking royally annoyed by now. It's probably not a good idea to piss off the weird guy with wings even more, Jinyoung ponders, so he tries to sink deeper into the wall behind him and decides to shut up for now. With wide eyes he quickly nods to indicate his approval.

“Thank you,” the boy says, a hint of annoyance still lingering in his words. He reaches into the pocket of his skinny jeans. When he pulls his hand out again an explosion of blue glitter goes off between them. Jinyoung gasps. What is even going on here?

When the sparkle slowly dissolves, the fairy (or whatever) guy stands there, looking at Jinyoung coolly. “That was a little bit of magic for you to see. Believe me now?”

Jinyoung wordlessly nods about 20 times.

“Very good. As I was trying to say repeatedly now, I'm your assigned fairy. My name is Mark.”

“Mark?”

“Yeah, Jinyoung, something wrong with it?”

“Oh my god, you know my name?!” Jinyoung squeaks.

“Of course I do. Don't be ridiculous. Because once again: I'm your assigned fairy. So I will-”

“Mark is not a typical fairy name.”

“Damn, will you ever stop interrupting me?” he grumbles before he huffs a breath. “So how many fairies do you know personally?”

“Only you?”

“Then for you Mark is the most typical fairy name, I would say.”

“But what kind of fairy name is Mark?”

“What is wrong with Mark?” the blond presses through gritted teeth.

“It just... doesn’t sound like a fairy at all.”

“Well I think it’s very fairy-”

“In fairy tales there is never a Mark.”

“STOP INTERRUPTING ME!” the winged boy yells. Jinyoung immediately stands straight against the wall again, the little bit of ease he gained during the brief conversation evaporated in the blink of an eye. The other takes a deep breath. One of his hands comes up and encircles the other wrist. Jinyoung notices how the fairy massages the inside of his wrist and a few seconds later he continues much calmer. “What would be more suitable for a fairy in your opinion then?”

“I don’t know. Something like Fluttershy or Twilight Sparkle maybe?”

“First of all, you just listed characters of My Little Pony. Do I look like a pony.... unicorn.... ponycorn to you?” Jinyoung shakes his head no. “Right? And second, fairy tales are fairy tales, but I am real. And last but not least, if you ever gonna call me Twilight Sparkle, I’ll kick your ass-”

“Then Fluttershy is alri-”

“SHUT UP!” Mark yells. Jinyoung once again is on his toes. “So it's either Mark or nothing at all, understand?”

“Oookay.”

“I can't believe this. I can't believe the universe sent me to you of all people,” the fairy mutters, seeming still pretty disgruntled. “Are you even the real Park Jinyoung?”

“I am.”

“Then please sign the contract to confirm that you're the real Park Jinyoung.” A blue glitter cloud appears suddenly and a stack of paper emerges, floating in the air. Mark grabs it and holds it out to Jinyoung. But the latter just watches with wide eyes and remains glued to the spot. “And why do you love that wall so much? It's safe to come closer. I don't bite.”

“But you yelled at me,” Jinyoung says feebly and flashes a pout.

“Because you were insufferable. Just behave and we won't have a problem.”

Jinyoung peels himself off his bedroom wall and slowly moves towards the sparkly boy. When he's within reach he takes the papers from Mark and flips through them.

“What is all this?”

“Oh yeah.... because you were constantly interrupting me I forgot to tell you why I'm here. The universe chooses people who do good and selfless deeds and sends them a fairy. Those good people shall be rewarded for their actions, so the universe is granting them one wish. The respective fairy is the one who fulfills the wish. In your hands you hold the contract which will seal the deal. So please sign this and confirm that you're Park Jinyoung so we can move on to your wish.”

“I get a wish? Anything in the world? Honestly?” Jinyoung asks baffled and stumbles a few steps back to sit down on the edge of his bed.

“Honestly,” the fairy boy assures. “Though it's not absolutely anything in the world. There are some exception-”

“I wish for you to grant me every wish I will ever have!” Jinyoung blurts out.

The fairy sighs and rolls his eyes yet another time. “Yeah, smartypants, because you're the first weird human who ever tried that trick. That's what I meant when I was referring to exceptions. That's against the rules. It says so in our standard business terms.”

“Okay, then I wish for 100 more wishes.”

“Jeez, that also violates our standard business terms. Just wish for something normal. It can't be that hard.”

“Dammit, just show me these freaking standard business terms!”

“Well.... you already hold it in your hands. The last four pages of the contract. But... you want to read it? Honestly?”

“Yes, I need to figure out what's the best deal here for me. I can't let this go to waste.”

“Wow, you're the first one who ever requested to read this whole thing, but do as you like.”

“Isn't it a welcomed change?” Jinyoung asks with a cheeky grin.

“Yeah, truly splendid,” the fairy replies listlessly and sits down on the carpeted floor. He is looking up at Jinyoung, seemingly not excited at all as he's sitting there cross-legged and with one elbow propped up on his knee, cupping his cheek in his palm. But Jinyoung couldn't care less. If this is really happening, he needs to act level-headed. He jumped the gun with his earlier wish attempts. He admits that much. But now he decides to focus on what would be best to happen in his life right now. So he starts to read through the papers, ignoring the way the bored fairy boy is watching him.

“Okay,” Jinyoung blurts out, all fired up, when he puts the pamphlet down. With a small pang of regret he notices how the fairy is wincing at the sudden noise. “I know what to wish for,” he continues softer.

“Great, then we can finally proceed. What do you wish for, Park Jinyoung?”

“My high school will host a talent show and everyone can perform there after signing up. My...... friends and I just decided to participate. I wish for your help so we can win this talent show.”

“Huh?”

“That doesn't violate the standard business terms, right?”

“No, but... from all the things you could have, you wish for _this_?”

“Yes,” Jinyoung confirms and enthusiastically nods his head a couple of times while he finally signs the contract.

“To be honest, I don't like those types of wishes that much. To manipulate competitions always feels so nasty, but okay. I will let your friends win this contest.”

“No no no no! That's not what I'm asking for. I meant help me to prepare them for their performance. We need some support. We need costumes and promotions and snacks and stuff. We need a physical helper. Like an assistant, you know?”

“An assistant?” the fairy boy parrots and looks endearingly baffled.

“Yeah. And we will prepare in school so it would be best if you somehow would manage to attend school for a while as a human... or something, like an exchange student maybe. Obviously you can't help as a fairy. Everyone would freak out.”

“Well thanks, I try to keep my ugliness in check next time.”

“That's again not what I meant,” Jinyoung explains. “You know what I want to say, right?”

“You want me to shove myself into a human body and come to your little group to help out... as an assistant?”

“You could also call it supporter, if it makes you feel any better about it, but yes, basically that's it.”

“H-How long exactly is it until this talent show?”

“Six weeks.”

“Six weeks?” the fairy screeches.

“Yeah. Is there a problem?”

“Ugh, looks like I can say goodbye to my annual bonus for the most granted wishes then,” he murmurs contritely. “But no, in general there isn't a problem with your wish. I'm just perplex that this is your wish while most people would wish for wealth, a new car, a better job and so on.”

Jinyoung only shrugs his shoulders. “I'm not like that.”

“I take back what I said earlier. Obviously for you it kind of _is very hard_ to wish for something normal,” the fairy evaluates with lifted eyebrows and stands up from the floor. “Good gracious, I never had a case like you before.”

“I like to surprise,” Jinyoung says lightheartedly and grins up at the frowning fairy.

“And surprised I am.” Mark walks over to him to take the papers from Jinyoung.

“Can I get a copy of that?”

“You're really a nerd, right? I though that earlier already when you read the whole business terms-”

“That's not nerd behavior but a smart move, okay? This contract could have included God-knows-what, so it would be pretty stupid not to read it. For example, what if this contract would say that I agree to become a fairy and have to say goodbye to my life, huh?”

“If you really believe the universe would cast weird humans to become fairies, you're not as smart as you think,” Mark says with a raised eyebrow.

“That was an example, dammit!” Jinyoung whines and limply punches his mattress.

“Yeah yeah, I understood. You aren't a nerd, you just behave like one. Whatever. So how are we doing-” Mark interrupts himself when Jinyoung is leaning forwards to curiously pat the front pocket of his skinny jeans. The fairy stands so close to Jinyoung, he couldn't resist to figure out, if there is more blue magic hidden in there. Jinyoung pokes the fabric cautiously, then strokes over the fabric with his flat palm. He's about to take a peek inside as Mark starts speaking again. “Where are you touching, curious boy?” Jinyoung drags his eyes away from the mysterious pocket to look up and meet Mark's quizzical look. Only now that the fairy was mentioning it, Jinyoung realizes that it's probably not very polite to touch an almost stranger, especially when it's so close to his crotch.

Quickly he takes his hand off the other's pants. Jinyoung bashfully bites down on his bottom lip as his gaze drops to the floor. “Sorry,” he mumbles. “I was just wondering if there is more magic.”

“ _I am_ the magic, okay? My whole being is woven from magic. This was just a little trick earlier, or do you really think these are magical pants or something?”

“Well, now that you say it, I guess magical pants sound ridiculous,” Jinyoung mumbles with a pout and looks back up to him.

“Right?” the fairy snorts. “Hey, what actually happened to your face? Was there some kind of accident?”

“No, nothing. Nothing happened. Everything is fine,” Jinyoung quickly reassures and hides his mouth behind his palm. After all the commotion he forgot about his lip already.

“Are you sur-”

“Yes, I'm doing great. Thank you!”

The fairy boy sighs and saunters across the room. “Honestly, when we somehow want to make it through the next few weeks together, you really need to work on your habit of interrupting me.”

“It will be fine. So see you tomorrow?”

“I guess so. Still kind of unbelievable, but I guess so,” the fairy says, looking a bit dejected.

“It might be fun?” Jinyoung suggests, trying to comfort him at least a little bit.

“We will see about that. See you.”

And with these simple words, the reluctant fairy dispels into another explosion of blue glitter.

Jinyoung collapses backwards onto his bed. While he stares up to the ceiling he tries to comprehend what just happened. Also he still tries to wrap his head around the fact that this was indeed reality. He's awake, he's definitely not on any drugs, and last time he checked he wasn't suffering from delusions.

A fairy, in his room, in his life. Who would ever have guessed?


	2. 1.2

Jinyoung turns off his alarm and sinks back into his pillow. Without really knowing if he's still dreaming, he stares at the ceiling of his room. Because it probably was a dream, right? A beautiful and slightly petulant fairy boy granting him a wish, that can't be true. Things like that don't happen. Also it would mean that magic exists. And while he was a big fan of fairy tales when he was a kid, the harsh reality slapped him in his face often enough for him to know that not a spark of magic exists in real life.

Still he turns his head to the side to search for some remnants of blue glitter on the floor. Then again, it was gone yesterday right after the fairy boy let it appear. So of course there's nothing left to see.

But despite not having any proof and against better knowledge, Jinyoung still somehow knows that there was more to it than a dream could provide. It felt so real, the impressions so overwhelming that he can't simply dismiss this as something he just made up. Also Mark was such a beautiful creature that Jinyoung doubts his head could go to such lengths as to invent this dazzling appearance on its own.

Nevertheless he has to get up and get ready for school. He's curious if Mark will be there or not.

( ﾟдﾟ)

Stupid, useless, dumb fairy. It's already lunch time and a certain magical creature is nowhere to be found. Why making a deal with a fairy when nothing happens afterwards? Such a fraud. Jinyoung is glad he wasn't asked to pay money or sign off his soul or something equally dramatic in return for the wish.

But his slight anger is quickly pushed aside when he spots Jaehyun in the school's cafeteria. Exactly his target according to his to do list. And he yet sits alone at a table, his nasty friends nowhere in sight. Seems like Jinyoung lucked out today after all.

Like in every other school, students are naturally divided into cliques with different levels of popularity. Jinyoung is sort of a special case though. He's like a piece of wood in the water, floating from group to group without experiencing much attachment. He knows people here and there, gets along with most of them, but isn't close to anybody in particular, except Jaebeom. But Jaebeom is a special case himself.

If claiming that he wasn't bullied before, he would be lying. There is a group of especially dumb jocks and petulant, self-crowned school princesses (bitches) who are not very fond of him. And as ridiculous as it is, they are the most popular clique. Jinyoung won't ever be able to wrap his head around this fact.

Everyone knows Jinyoung is smart without being a nerd or a show off, and despite being harassed he never endures it without giving those idiots a piece of his mind and showing attitude. He's well aware that his tendencies to be snappy and meddlesome at times, don't always serve him well. Other students admire him for his attitude though. But to this group of bullies he's a thorn in their flesh. Though he's by far not the one who suffers the most from them. After all there are easier victims, especially among the students who started high school just a couple of months ago. And Jinyoung hates to just stand on the sidelines and watch things happening. So he doesn't.

The most astounding thing is that in the middle of all this school madness, and tragically also in the middle of this group of jocks and bitches, is the school's prince charming: Bae Jaehyun. It's astounding to Jinyoung because unlike his friends, he is actually a pretty nice guy.

They became friends when they were forced to work on a project together a couple months ago. To get this done quickly they agreed to meet at Jaehyun's house. But there, Jinyoung involuntarily witnessed the horrible divorce battle his parents currently were in. Jinyoung remembers that he felt both, very uncomfortable and also compassionate towards his classmate, despite knowing next to nothing about him back then. Nobody in school knew about his difficult family situation. From the outside his life always seemed perfect to everyone. Jaehyun was obviously more than embarrassed that Jinyoung witnessed such a nasty fight between his parents. But Jinyoung promised not to let a word slip to anyone about it, and he is holding onto that until today. Also he finished the project work almost entirely by himself, since Jaehyun's focus obviously was on another issue at that time. Jinyoung didn't mind too much. He's naturally good at those project thingies anyway. Also he likes to help where he is able to help. Gladly Jaehyun appreciated that a lot. And so they gradually became closer over the course of the past months.

“Hey hey hey, how are you doing on this beautiful day, school prince?” Jinyoung asks enthusiastically as he slips into the seat beside the other boy.

Jaehyun at first seemed a bit surprised by Jinyoung's sudden appearance but then he snorts with a smile on his face. “Nice announcement. What do you want, Jinyoung?”

“Ugh! Now I feel hurt,” he replies, his words laced with way more anguish than it would be necessary. To complete his performance he screws up his face and clutches his chest. Luckily this is already enough to elicit a chuckle from the school prince. ”Why do I have to want something?”

“Unfortunately you never drop by just to chat. Instead you always want something.”

“That's not true, and you know it,“ Jinyoung now continues with more seriousness and a pout. “I enjoy chatting with you very much. _But_ you are a person of high influence. What can I do if it comes up every time I talk to you?”

“Sure,” he scoffs. “So what do you want?”

“I want to know how you are today.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes?”

“I am… good,” he answers, now flashing his full-blown, prince-like smile at Jinyoung.

“Awesome. Great news.”

“And what do you want?”

“Jaehyun…” Jinyoung sighs exasperated and collapses on the tabletop. He only looks back up at Jaehyun when he hears him chuckle again, a reaction to Jinyoung's latest dramatic performance. The pout makes a grand comeback.

“Wait…. what’s wrong with your lip?” He grabs Jinyoung’s chin to take a closer look.

“Ou ou ou!” Jinyoung hisses in response and wriggles free of the other's grip.

“Sorry. What is this?” The genuine concern is sitting all over Jaehyun's handsome features.

“The same as always. Your bully friends were bored.”

“What? How can that... I told them to leave you alone. That's not possible. We're talking about Junghoon, Chulsoo and Hojin?”

“I don't take the trouble to learn their names, Jaehyun. In my head I call them Dumb, Dense and Stupid. But yeah, we're talking about your jock friends.”

“I really thought they wouldn't attack you anymore. Damn! You really need to stop challenging those guys, Jinyoung. What were you thinking?”

“I’m not _challenging_ them. They bully helpless students. I can’t just watch it happening.”

“Aaah,” Jaehyun calls out, the imaginary lightbulb had just appeared and turned on above his head. “So they weren't attacking _you_ after all. You were just meddling in their business.”

“ _Their business_? Is it their business to harass kids who are weaker than them?” Jinyoung asks, absolutely bewildered.

“You know what I mean. I was just wondering why they were attacking you, but now I know. Just stay out of things and nothing will happen to you.”

“I can't stay out of it. Nobody is going to help those kids!”

“But you also have to watch out for yourself. What good does it do if they beat _you_ up instead of somebody else?”

“They even pick on girls and the new kids, Jaehyun. They don't look for equal opponents. They look for victims. And this is despicable. I just can’t ignore this. I can't idly watch from the sidelines. So I wonder, perhaps you could have a word with-“

“I knew you wanted something,” the other sighs frustrated.

“Everybody is looking up to you. I’m sure if you tried, you would be able to convince them to stop.”

“How often did we have this conversation already? You know they won’t listen to me-“

“Apparently you talked to them about me and they kind of listened to you. Why wouldn't that work again?”

“Jinyoung,” he sighs with an unjustified heaviness. “You are an exception. You are special. These guys are my friends and I can't tell them what to do and what not. I can't order them around. I'm sure there is a reason why they fight with those students or something.”

“You don't really believe that, right? Please tell me you are aware that some of your friends are mean, ignorant bullies and are either bound to become pro athletes or jailbirds, …..or both. And it's not only those three jocks. Also some of the girls you hang out with literally terrorize others. This is plain harassment and nobody can make me believe that there is a sensible reason for it, not even you.”

Jinyoung realizes Jaehyun bites the inside of his cheek. He always does it when he's stressed or nervous. Obviously this thinking process demands a lot from him. After a long while he finally answers, “I don't think I can do anything here.”

“I see. You don’t want to help those tormented kids.”

“Jinyoung…. it’s not like that. You know that,” he sighs, trying to pacify him.

“Sure,” Jinyoung answers curtly, not hiding his disappointment in the least.

“Promise me to take care of yourself and not get involved in this anymore.”

“You know I won’t promise that.”

“Park!” A familiar and detested voice interrupts them. Both their heads turn to the side to see where the interruption came from. And sadly Jinyoung's eyes catch sight of those bullying mean girls which he was just talking about, also known as the school prince's little entourage. “Why are you bothering Jaehyun? Don’t you know where your place is?” one of the girls spits.

“My place is where you are not, Minnie,” Jinyoung replies unfazed as he stands up. “Have a nice day.”

“Get lost!”

“Get manners,” he shoots back while he walks away from the scene. He can sense their hostile glares piercing his back.

He expected this to go better. Now he's a bit disheartened. Jinyoung seriously thought Jaehyun would get his point but it seems he's not ready for this conversation yet.

Maybe his expectations were too high in the first place. It was already nice of Jaehyun to ask his disgusting bully friends to spare him. It just baffles him that Jaehyun wouldn't attempt to achieve the same for other suffering kids. At least Jinyoung is able to deal with the bullies most of the time. He's neither weak nor afraid to talk back, while other kids really need protection because they can't defend themselves.

But after all, their friendship isn't all that typical. Sure, he and Jaehyun became a lot closer over the course of the past months, but it's still not a usual friendship. When they cross paths in the corridors, they would smile and nod at each other. When he's alone, Jaehyun would even approach him and strike a lighthearted conversation with Jinyoung. He never does it when he has his entourage in tow. Jaehyun knows they hate Jinyoung's guts and he also knows the feeling is mutual.

He has no interest in becoming friends with them. A few snobbish, mean girls and braindead jocks don't belong to his most desired types of friends. The most tragic thing in Jinyoung's opinion is probably that they are so stereotyped. Smart bullies would be at least a little refreshing. But no, every time they open their mouths and another dumb, boring remark falls out of their unimaginative heads, Jinyoung gets nauseous. They are the embodiment of idiocy and therefore aren't in the least interesting.

He walks by the table where Jaebeom is sitting together with his friends. They make brief eye contact. Quick smiles are exchanged. Then Jinyoung heads towards the door. It's time to find his kids. A few of them are still too afraid to enter the cafeteria.

( ﾟдﾟ)

That afternoon Jinyoung sits on his bed and broods over his notes for the talent show. Tomorrow he will present his ideas to his kids for the first time. He really hopes that they'll like his concept. His aim is to make them feel comfortable with what they'll do, so he tries to not overlook any details in his plan.

The sudden appearance of a blue light in the middle of his room lets him look up from his notes. So it wasn't a dream after all, he thinks as he watches the light growing and the sparkles intensifying. And in the end the fairy boy emerges from the blue brightness and lands soft-footedly on the floor of Jinyoung's room. He still can't overcome the fact that his fairy wears Converse.

“Hey, what's up?”

“What's up? _What's up_? What do you mean _what's up_?” Jinyoung hisses. He can't believe that the magical boy just acts all casual, as if he didn't stand him up today.

“Ugh... is something wrong?” Mark tilts his head, his long strings of diamonds hanging from his ear swing with the motion. He looks at Jinyoung as if he would be the weird one here. But Jinyoung is determined to wise him up.

“Yooouuu! You come here, just standing there with your flowers and your sparkles and act as if you didn't let me wait the whole day like an idiot, just to show up now and look at me like I'm an actual idiot! Are you serious?” Jinyoung rants and points his index finger at him in the most accusatory manner.

Realization dawns on Mark's face before he starts to speak. “Oh, that-”

“Oh that? We had a deal and you just do whatever you want!”

“Look, I had to prepare things. Your request is neither common nor easy to fulfill, you know?”

“You could have told me, right? You could have just let me know that you wouldn't come by today, right?” he grumbles, still in a rage.

“I uhm… I didn't expect preparations to take so long and now I might have ended up being a little late,” he stammers bashfully and rubs the back of his neck.

“Awesome, from the whole fairy battalion I get the one who can’t be on time.”

“Don’t act like you have this all-embracing fairy knowledge suddenly. You don’t know a single one except me. So how do you want to compare?”

“I simply assume. I can’t believe that your whole… _species_ is unpunctual by default.”

“That’s not… it. It’s just that time is a rather floating concept to us.”

“Okay, fairy boy, listen!” he starts and stands up to face Mark at eye level. “This talent show means a lot, maybe not to you, but to the kids we will help preparing for it, okay? They agreed to do it even though they are pretty insecure about themselves. It's a huge thing for them. And you know what they need now? They need support and care and dependability. They _don't_ need an unreliable fairy jerk who is doing this whole thing half-assed, not caring what will happen to them. So get a hold of yourself or get out of here!” Jinyoung ends his rant, gasping a little to catch his breath.

“Okay, okay. I got it. I try to do better,” the fairy blurts out, his guilty conscience plastered all over his face. Jinyoung's eyes sweep down for a second and he notices how Mark massages his wrist again. Is this his comfort move or something? Now Jinyoung feels a bit guilty himself. He doesn't like to scold people. But if Mark isn't taking this seriously, he's useless for the group.

“Good. I will remind you of that if you'll lose focus.”

“I don't doubt that,” the other mumbles sulkily as he plops down to sit on the carpeted floor. “I can't believe you called me fairy jerk.”

“Uhm... well... it was necessary,” Jinyoung murmurs, feeling a sudden pang of regret at the other's cloudy expression. Maybe he went a bit overboard in his speech. Jinyoung also sits down cross-legged, opposite the other. “But I'm sure you won't ever hear this from me again, if you make an effort as you promised,” he tries to straighten it out, the firmness already gone from his voice.

“I can't believe this. Yesterday you acted like a baby and today you're all scary,” Mark mumbles while drawing patterns into the carpet with his fingertips.

“A baby?” Jinyoung asks, astounded.

“Yeah, a whole baby,” the other confirms and looks back up at him. “All sulky and curious and wide-eyed. Today you're only scary.”

“Erm... I really don't know about the baby thing but I promise I won't be scary anymore. At least not today.”

“Oki,” he whispers. Jinyoung thinks the way Mark tilts his head to one side while saying “O” and to the other side while saying “ki” is adorable. No wait, he doesn't find it adorable. There's nothing adorable about an unreliable mope like him, Jinyoung scolds himself.

“So are all your preparations done now?”

“Yep, all done. Tomorrow we can start,” Mark says enthusiastically.

“That's great. Tomorrow is the first day when the kids will come together and we discuss the concept. It's going to be all exciting.”

“The _kids_... these are your friends, right?”

“Yes, it's just that they are all younger than me so I proudly call them kids,” he explains grinning. “I'm sure you'll like them. Just... uhm.... can you do anything about those wings?” Jinyoung asks and points at the baby blue, glittery vans which spread out behind Mark.

“I can change their color to electric blue? See?” the fairy boy reveals and not a second later the wings shine in a vibrant blue.

“I... erm.... actually meant to make them less eye-catching. You know... like folding them up... or something.”

“I'm not a ragtop, Jinyoung.”

“But if you want to help tomorrow, you can't show up looking like this. The kids will freak out.”

“Oooh, so that's your point. Don't worry, that's all part of my preparation.”

“Okay... that's good then,” Jinyoung confirms with a pensive face. “Uhm... your clothes don't look like I would have imagined them for a fairy, by the way. Do fairies always wear skinny jeans?”

“No, every fairy wears what they want. We don't have uniforms or something.”

“Interesting,” Jinyoung points out with an acknowledging nod of his head. “And... do all fairies look like you?” he continues to ask cautiously. He doesn't know anything about real fairies, and since Mark said his fairy tale knowledge doesn't apply to reality, he's curious to learn more.

“Look like me? What do you mean?”

“Like... uhm.... good-looking,” Jinyoung mumbles timidly while picking some lint off his sock.

“Oh... well, thank you. Just like humans, fairies come in different shapes and sizes. Typical features of fairies are the wings, the flowers and the sparkle, but they can also differ a lot between fairies.”

“Wow, okay.”

“So you think I'm good-look-”

“I don't,” Jinyoung blurts out. With panic in his eyes he's looking back up and spots a smug fairy face.

“Here's the baby mode I was referring-”

Jinyoung gasps before his brain processes the accusation. “I'm not a baby!”

“No?” the fairy boy questions, amusement playing in his eyes. “You pretty much look like-”

“I'm not!” he huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“JINYOUNGIE SWEETIE, DO YOU HAVE DIRTY CLOTHES LYING AROUND YOUR ROOM? I'M DOING LAUNDRY NOW,” his mom's voice suddenly calls from downstairs.

Jinyoung's head immediately whips around towards his bedroom door. Before he can answer, he hears Mark snicker and repeat the words “Jinyoungie sweetie”. This is so embarrassing, especially right after this baby discussion.

“NO MOM, IT'S ALRIGHT!”

“ARE YOU SURE? WHERE IS YOUR TOTORO UNDERWEAR? IT'S NOT IN THE HAMPER AND I KNOW IT'S YOUR FAVORIT.” Now Jinyoung wants to die. He hears more muffled laughter behind him and he knows he somehow needs to make his mom stop talking right now.

“MOM, I SAID IT'S FINE!”

“OH, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY WEARING IT RIGHT NOW. NEVER MIND, SWEETIE.”

Jinyoung closes his eyes and sighs in defeat. This is it. His death sentence. Where is the hole he can hide himself in for the rest of his lousy life? Behind him Mark surrenders to the laughing fit. Reluctantly Jinyoung turns back around. But he never expected to see something like this.

While Mark laughs, little bursts of glitter in all shades of blue explode around his face. The sparkles catch the light, making it look like magical fireworks. With his eyes wide and mouth agape, Jinyoung slowly crawls closer to the spectacle in front of him while Mark catches his breath again. The sparkles fade away.

“W-What…. What is this?”

“What? What? What is what?” The fairy boy seems puzzled and looks around in the hope of finding what Jinyoung was referring to. But Jinyoung wasn't looking at anything else, only at Mark's face, and he even comes a bit closer to observe the wonders of it more. Mark's eyes now also grow wide when he turns his head back to the front, spotting Jinyoung's face only centimeters away from his own.

Jinyoung backs off a little, belatedly realizing that once again he's too close to the fairy boy, just like yesterday. “All this glittery stuff when you laugh.”

“Oh… this, it’s just fairy dust. No worries, it disappears as quickly as it comes. It doesn’t leave any stains, see?” He rubs his hand against the still clean carpet and then shows his palm as proof.

“No, I don’t mean…. I don’t care about stains but…. Wow. It truly looks magical.”

Mark looks at him with maximum surprise on his face for a few seconds. Then he bursts out laughing again and the pretty blue explosions reappear.

“Woooow!” Jinyoung reaches out and tries to catch some of the magic. When he looks at his palm, it's peppered with the blue shiny sprinkles of glitter. Suddenly he feels like he’s magical himself, that is until the gleam disappears only moments later. “This is breathtaking. Does this happen every time you laugh?”

“Yeah, and sometimes when I smile. It's fun, right?”

“It's.... astounding..... and pretty,” Jinyoung says, still in awe as he's staring at his clean palm.

“Then it's a perfect match for my good-looking face, I guess,” the fairy boy teases. Jinyoung chokes on his own saliva at that and starts to cough pathetically. “I take that as affirmation,” the Mark chuckles. Blue sparkles everywhere. If Jinyoung wouldn't feel like dying, he would appreciate it even more. Mark reaches around him and lightly pats his back until Jinyoung's windpipe works normally again and he catches his breath. Jinyoung looks up at him, spotting a pretty smile and soft eyes. The hand on his back is now tenderly caressing him. And once again the realization hits him: they are too close.

But this time Jinyoung doesn't back off. They lock eyes. Jinyoung swallows thickly as he focuses on the shiny deepness of the other's doe eyes. How can a creature so perfect, so beautiful and dazzling exist in the world? Jinyoung is drawn in by something strong, something he can't put a finger on. Is this a magic spell or simply the enticing presence of the fairy himself? Whatever the case may be, something happens here. Something electrifying. The air between them crackles. Jinyoung's brain bows out. He has no idea what is in control now, it's not his head. But whatever is in control believes that it's a good idea to let his gaze drop to Mark's pink, soft looking lips. Jinyoung swallows again, faintly noticing that his heart is racing like it would thunder through his rib cage any second.

Suddenly the door flies open and the moment ends much faster than it started. “Hey hey Jinyoung!” Both their heads turn towards the cheery voice, but not a split second later Jinyoung tackles Mark to the floor to hide the fairy from his freshly arrived friend Jaebeom.

“Aaagh, what the heck,” is Mark's muffled reaction which he murmurs into Jinyoung's chest.

“Jinyoung? What are you doing there? Who is this?”

Yes, Jinyoung's brain definitely took too long of a break because only now as Mark is buried underneath him and Jaebeom stands behind them, he realizes that still very prominent sparkly wings stick out left and right from under Mark.

“JINYOUNGIE? JAEBEOM CAME BY,” his mom calls from downstairs.

Jinyoung sighs defeated while he lets his head drop a little. But that wasn't too smart either because his face finds a new home in Mark's blond hair and the very addictive flowers and cotton scent it emits. He stays like that for probably a second too long before he gathers all his strength to push himself back up to sit on his heels. “YEAH.... I KIND OF NOTICED. THANKS MOM.”

Mark sits up as well and leans to the side to be able to look past Jinyoung. “Your friend?”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung sighs and plops down on his butt. “Can you close the door?” he addresses the flabbergasted new arrival who is still glued to the spot, eyes trained on Mark.

“Uhm... sure?” So Jaebeom complies but he keeps lingering by the door, continuing his gawking.

“Aren't you supposed to hide your wings or something?” Jinyoung nags at Mark.

“I didn't know that I'm supposed to hide. Also he came in so abruptly.”

“You're a magical creature, of course you have to hide. Also you're _obviously_ a magical creature with reflexes like a stone.”

“How should I know your room is expected to be invaded at any time?”

“Because it's just a room, not a fortress. It has a door, people use it to come in and go out.”

“He didn't even knock. I mean I'm not an expert but aren't humans supposed to knock?”

“He's my best friend. He's entitled to just come in.”

“If he's your best friend he is allowed to know you have a fairy here, right?”

“A.... _fairy_?” Jaebeom finally pipes up and has immediately two pairs of eyes on him which silently ask why he interrupted their discussion with such an inept remark.

“Yeah, he's a fairy. It's obvious, isn't it?”

His friend continues to stare at Mark for a while, which provokes a rather irritated look on Mark's face.

“Is he broken or something?” the fairy eventually asks Jinyoung. The latter doesn't know about it. But the fact that his best friend didn't move from the spot by the door for some long minutes now isn't such a good sign.

Though both of them are called to attention when Jaebeom suddenly snaps back to life. With an amused smile stretching across his face he walks over to Mark and leans down, beholding his face carefully and closely.

“That was a good one. I almost believed you, Jinyoung. So who is this really? One of your talent show kids? I never saw him before, I think. Also I didn't know you were planning to do costumes for the show. But this is seriously impressive,” he marvels and carefully rubs one of the rose petals of Mark's wreath between his fingertips.

“Erm... Jaebeom-” Jinyoung starts but his friend seems to be in his own little world of admiration as his hand wanders into Mark's hair.

“Is this a wig? Or do we have such a blond kid in our school?”

Jinyoung bites down on his lip when he spots Mark's sour expression while Jaebeom tousles his hair. “Jaebeom, you really shouldn't touch people you don't know,” he tries to give him a warning.

“I'm just admiring this great costume,” his friend dismisses Jinyoung's advice and leans over Mark to tug at one of his wings.

Obviously that was too much for the fairy boy. He leans back and supports himself on his hands. He brings his feet up and forward into Jaebeom's stomach to harshly shove him away. “Get off me, weird human!” he grumbles as Jaebeom stumbles a few steps back.

“What the fuck, that hurt!” he barks.

“This was my intention, genius! You think it's okay to tug at my wings like that shit wouldn't hurt?”

“Tug at your.... what the heck is going on here?”

Jinyoung sighs and scoots closer to Mark. He carefully starts to pat his hair back down, while the fairy is still glaring holes into his confused friend. “I told you, he's a fairy.”

“Jinyoung, come on!”

“Mark do your.... you know... your thing with the glitter.”

Mark rolls his eyes, obviously annoyed at the request. “I'm not a circus clown, Jinyoung.”

“I know, I know, but see how lost he looks. He wouldn't believe it otherwise. Or do you want him to harass your wings again?”

“If he touches my wings one more time, this world has one weird human less to accommodate.”

“Are fairies allowed to launch threats like these?” Jinyoung questions stunned.

“Sure, if it's necessary.”

“But you wouldn't really.... I mean you're a fairy, you wouldn't kill anybody, right? Your standard business terms don't allow it, if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't kill him, but I'm still allowed to beat him up pretty badly without using magic,” Mark explains matter-of-factly.  
  


“Ah.. I see.”

Jaebeom clears his throat, watching them from the other side of the room. Jinyoung almost forgot about him being there. “Sorry to interrupt your little, super twisted talk, but can somebody please explain to me what is going on here?”

“Mark, the glitter. Please.”

“Fine,” the fairy eventually relents and a second later several explosions of glitter fill the room. It's so much that Jinyoung can't spot his friend behind the wall of blue sparkles anymore. Only after everything disappeared into thin air, he sees Jaebeom huddling on the floor with his back pressed against the door. An expression somewhere between absolute disbelief and plain fear plays on his features.

“See? A fairy,” Jinyoung casually points out once again. But his friend is back to his old tactic: silent, lifeless staring.

“Now he looks broken again,” Mark sighs. He gently nudges Jinyoung away before he pushes himself up, first to his feet, then in the air. Suddenly he flies. This is the first time that Jinyoung sees him putting his wings to use. And it's equally as beautiful as the blue sparkling fireworks.

The fairy crosses the short distance to the door. He hovers over Jaebeom but the latter just hides his head beneath his arms and whimpers, “Don't beat me up!”

But Mark only clicks his tongue, probably in annoyance, before he leans down and grabs Jaebeom by his armpits. Quickly he lifts him up and puts him back on his own two feet before he smoothly lands right in front of him.

“I'm a fairy. My name is Mark. Never touch my wings again. Do you comprehend, human?”

Jinyoung never saw the eyes of his friend being so wide before. Jaebeom chooses just to nod his head jerkily several times instead of saying something. “Good.”

Jinyoung gives him a chance to recover. He sits Jaebeom down, with his back against his bed. Jinyoung plops down on the floor beside him while Mark sits down opposite them. Calmly he explains to his friend why the fairy is here and what the plans for the upcoming weeks are. Jaebeom listens without interrupting even once. He just keeps nodding.

“So I guess everything is clear now,” Jinyoung finishes.

“I guess,” Jaebeom agrees feebly. For the whole time he kept stealing glances at Mark, like he still can't believe that he's real.

“Nice of you to come over, by the way. Did you want something in particular or were you just feeling like hanging out?”

Jaebeom seems to rummage his brain for an answer before he blurts out an “Ah yes” and sits up straight. “I heard you got into another fight. What was that about?”

“Ugh, it was yesterday. Already old news. No need to make a fuss,” Jinyoung dismisses in a bored-sounding tone.

“You couldn't shut up again, huh? Had to make a smart remark again, right? Jinyoung, if you only could prioritize your survival over your sassiness for once, it would help a lot already.”

“It wasn't that, okay? Also if I would be meek and mild about all the injustice that happens at our school, it would kill me inside. What good would that do?”

“It would at least keep your body safe. I swear, if I have to pull you out of a dumpster one more time, I'll give you up for adoption.”

“Oh come on, it didn't happen that often yet.”

“Still impressively often considering that most people won't be thrown into a dumpster even once in their lives.”

“Well, maybe they miss an experience then,” he snaps.

“Jinyoung, come on,” Jaebeom grumbles.

“What can I do? I'm just honest and defend myself. Also what's wrong about telling others that they are dumb and ignorant when they actually are?”

“I don't say it's wrong, but those dumb people won't answer with words but with fists.”

“So?”

“Jinyoung, this honesty will break your neck some day.” Jaebeom tries to make him understand in a softer tone now. “I don't want to witness you being treated like this anymore.”

The words 'then step up and help me doing the right thing' play on his tongue but he knows he can't say them. So instead Jinyoung answers, “I do what I want.”

“Yes, I know. You always do,” his friend sighs and ruffles his own hair.

“So you get bullied at school?” Mark suddenly butts in. This time Jinyoung almost forgot that he's still present. And now he heard almost everything. Damn, this was not how it was supposed to go.

“No,” Jinyoung blurts out at the same time as Jaebeom answers a loud and clear “Yes”.

Jinyoung glares at him for a second before he looks back at the fairy boy, who observes him carefully with his head tilted to the side.

“It's not really bullying. It's more having a difference of opinion.” Jaebeom snorts beside him and Jinyoung rewards this with an unceremonious slap to the back of his head. “And because this difference of opinion exists and some people are dumb, it's difficult sometimes to maintain a calm daily routine at school. But no worries, it will all change when my fantastic kids win this talent show.”

“Yeah? How so?” Mark asks.

“I will explain this to you tomorrow. It will be such an exciting day. Are you curious to get to know them? I'm sure you are. I am super excited to introduce them to you. They are great kids. Awesome even,” Jinyoung raves.

“Master of changing the topic, huh?” Jaebeom mutters beside him.

“Didn't you want to go home, Jaebeom?”

“Huh? Now you're kicking me out?”

“No, it was merely a mild suggestion.”

“Sure,” he huffs and stands up. “Then I guess I see you at school..... both of you.” He shuffles to the door and turns around one last time. “What will you do if your parents find out about.... your fairy?”

“Mark, from now on, if somebody comes into my room who isn't Jaebeom, please hide.”

“Oki,” Mark confirms without hesitation.

“See? Problem solved,” Jinyoung says to his best friend, flashing a satisfied smile.

Jaebeom rolls his eyes as he heaves a deep sigh. “Well, then let's see if this fairy can solve your other problems just as quickly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware that I can't promise regular updates because I'm a mess these days. Thank you.ヽ(´ー｀)ﾉ


	3. 1.3

Jinyoung wakes up and his first thought once again is: was it real? But yes, his brain confirms immediately, it is real. The fairy boy, the wish, the glitter, it is truly happening. And the next moment his mind wanders to a place where it absolutely shouldn't have any business at. The intense moment he shared with Mark yesterday, right before Jaebeom barged into his room, is obviously something he can't block out easily. Those sparkly eyes, as deep as the mysterious universe, shiny, pink lips which looked so appealing, magic everywhere, every detail is etched in Jinyoung's mind. The captivating energy still buzzes through his veins. Though maybe it felt only intense and captivating to Jinyoung. Mark might just have thought that he's a staring creep. But whatever this was, Jinyoung has to get over it and get himself ready for school. Because he doesn't even dare to go down that road of thinking that moment meant something. Where would that lead to? No way he would make his life difficult like that. He has real problems, no need to add some more.

Mark doesn't appear in Jinyoung's room this morning. On his way to school, there is also no Mark in sight. Jinyoung even awkwardly loiters around the school grounds before going inside, always hoping that the fairy boy would somehow show up. But to no avail.

Jinyoung sighs as he walks into his class and drops into his chair. Seems like this would be another day of being disappointed by Mark. The evening yesterday was good, actually a little more than just good. Jinyoung even dared to hope for good teamwork after that. But now it's about to be crushed again.

“What's up, loser? Sad about not having friends today again?” a female voice calls from the back and Jinyoung simply knows that he is the addressed one. He turns around in his seat to see the sneering face of Minnie.

“You want to know why I'm sad? Just read my lips- oh wait, that was insensitive of me. I know everything related to reading is quite challenging for you.”

“Shut the hell up, dweeb!” Hwayoung steps up to defend her friend. “How dare you insulting a queen?”

“In which kind of royal house is she a queen? The royal chamber of horror?”

“Park!” The guy he calls Dense suddenly butts in and Jinyoung knows the conversation isn't going to get any smarter. “Shut your dirty mouth or I will beat your ass until your own family won't recognize you.” The prole slowly walks towards Jinyoung's seat, fist threateningly raised and scowling. He looks like a caveman who is furious because Jinyoung insulted the style of his favorite loincloth. Jinyoung calmly watches him coming closer, already knowing that no matter how stupid this guy is, he won't throw a fist at him here. There are too many witnesses.

But even before Jinyoung has the chance to rub this fact in Dense's face, Jaehyun enters the room. It only takes him one exchanged look with his jock friend for the latter to retreat, even though it happens with obvious teeth grinding and the utmost dissatisfaction. The school prince offers him a small smile as he walks past Jinyoung's seat. He is glad that he doesn't have to deal with more idiocy right now.

Though he can't enjoy his freshly gained serenity for long. Their teacher enters and promptly urges the class to quiet down.

“This is a bit unusual for this time of the year,” Mrs. Lee announces while leaning over the desk and shuffling through a few papers until she finds the one she searched for, “but we have a new student.” A murmur goes through the class as she walks back to the door. The murmuring grows louder when the new student, in his pristine school uniform, walks in after the teacher.

Only Jinyoung doesn't have anything to say right now. Instead he just gasps while his wide eyes behold the familiar face. The blue sparkles are gone from his face, the earring and the blue roses can't be found either. No wings are visible anymore. The usually blond, styled hair shines now in a rich chocolate brown and falls across his forehead. Though it doesn't take the spotlight off his deep, shiny doe eyes.

“This is your new classmate,” their teacher announces before she addresses the boy. “Please introduce yourself.”

The new student looks a bit distraught at the request. Jinyoung notices his hand wandering over to his other arm to rub his wrist. He seems to ponder for a second as his eyes sweep over the expectant faces in front of him. The familiar doe eyes eventually stay glued to Jinyoung's, as soon as their gazes meet. “Hey, I'm Mark,” he says listlessly and offers a small wave.

Their teacher seems to be rather confused by the short statement and prompts, “Would you like to add anything? Something more personal maybe? Where you're from or what your interests are perhaps?”

“I'll pass, thanks,” Mark utters as he casually puts his hands in the front pockets of his pants.

Mrs. Lee looks at Mark completely taken aback. Jinyoung can't remember that he witnessed her being speechless before. Today is definitely a day to remember. Plenty of excited murmur rises in the classroom. He subtly waves at Mark, trying to get his attention back. It works and now he equally subtly tries to get him to elaborate. He doesn't want Mark to have a bad start in school just because his classmates classify him as an oddball right from the beginning. Luckily Mark seems to comprehend that Jinyoung wants him to do something. Unfortunately he looks completely lost anyway.

Eventually Mark adds, “I'm Jinyoung's friend.” He hesitantly points at the addressed boy to underline his statement. The whole class starts to murmur and whisper even louder, some hissing and squeaking among the noise.

Oh no. That was not what Jinyoung wanted. That wouldn't guarantee a good start for Mark at all. The whole class is in turmoil. Mark still looks lost. Jinyoung feels as lost as Mark looks. At least their teacher relents now and simply asks Mark to take a seat.

Jinyoung facepalms himself and Mark slightly shrugs as he walks past him. All the other students are still whispering until their teacher scolds them.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Couldn't you think of a slightly better way to introduce yourself?” Jinyoung asks as he walks with Mark towards the cafeteria to get lunch.

“Why?”

“Ugh... you know what? Never mind.”

“Tell me Jinyoung, on a scale from one to ten, just how happy are you that I don't need to introduce myself as Fluttershy?” The grin on Mark's face is cheeky but fetching. Jinyoung expects blue glittery bursts, but nothing happens. Of course nothing happens, he reconsiders, since Mark somehow got rid of all his fairy features.

“I admit, your not very fairy fairy-name came in handy here.”

“Why are you saying it like that?”

“What?”

“Very fairy?”

“Because you said it when we first met,” Jinyoung explains and answers Mark's quizzical look with a bright grin.

“I meant to say 'very fairy _like_ ' but I never had a chance with you interrupting me every other second,” Mark nags and rolls his eyes.

“And now I like it as it is.”

“It makes no sense.”

“I don't care,” Jinyoung says, cheekily smiling, as he opens the door to the already bustling cafeteria. “Hey... uhm.... can you eat?”

“Excuse me?”

“Can fairies eat like humans or do they explode after consuming food or something?”

“Very few things make fairies explode but thanks for your concern,” Mark snorts. “Fairies don't necessarily need to eat but they certainly can.”

“Okay, let's grab lunch then,” Jinyoung announces and guides Mark through the chattering crowd towards the serving counter. It feels different than usual, like people are staring at him. Or maybe they are staring at them? Or maybe he is imagining things. Why would people pay attention suddenly?

A few minutes later they grab a table together and put down their trays. But Jinyoung can't conceal his surprise when he inspects the fairy boy's choice.

“Three servings of chocolate pudding with whipped cream isn't a healthy lunch.”

“I would have added a vanilla one but it kind of had a weird color. Yuck!”

“Funny....... not,” Jinyoung comments with a deadpan expression.

“Well, fairies don't need food to be healthy so it doesn't matter what I eat. I might as well eat only the tasty stuff,” Mark says with a shrug before he relishes the first spoon full of dessert.

“The taste buds of a kid, I see.”

“I think we established the fact that _you're_ the baby here,” he disagrees with a smug smile while having remnants of pudding in the corners of his mouth.

“Shut up,” Jinyoung murmurs and rolls his eyes.

“Yep, that pout. Baby pout. Cute baby,” Mark giggles and celebrates his own mini party.

“Eat your pudding and be quiet,” Jinyoung mutters in feigned annoyance before he sticks out his tongue.

“Ladies and gentlemen, come and watch this adorable baby showing its tongue,” Mark fake announces before he bursts into a fit of giggles. Honestly, he's so cute that Jinyoung considers to make a fool of himself for much longer just to enjoy the view. But right after catching himself thinking this, he quickly gets a hold of himself and starts to observe his own plate. It doesn't look half as interesting as the energetic fairy boy though.

“Where is Jaebeom? I didn't see him yet.”

“He's in a different class.”

“But isn't he eating with us?”

“He... he's sitting over there with his friends,” Jinyoung explains hesitantly and points at a table near the door.

“ _His_ friends aren't _your_ friends?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It's.... a bit complicated. Basically we don't hang out in school.”

“But you said he's your best friend.” Jinyoung can see that Mark tries to comprehend the situation and he doesn't blame him for not understanding it right away. It is a certain level of weird, Jinyoung knows. And since Mark even interrupted his pudding party to tilt his head to the side and send him an especially confused look, he thinks it's better to explain it now instead of trying to hide it.

“Yeah,” Jinyoung sighs. “But his parents don't like us hanging out. Normally it would be easy to hang out here anyway, but Jaebeom's twin sister goes to this school as well, she's in our class to be specific, and she's part of this really obnoxious group of bitchy girls. They aren't very fond of me and have no problem to express this at any given opportunity. And Hwayoung, his sister, would snitch on Jaebeom without batting an eyelash when she would see us together. He would get in trouble with his parents then.”

“What? That's totally nuts,” Mark blurts out, wide-eyed and outraged. “Why would his parents have a problem with you being his friend?”

“They think I'm getting in trouble a lot and apparently they don't want me to drag Jaebeom into my shit.”

“ _Are you_ really getting in trouble a lot?”

“I guess so,” Jinyoung admits, pouting again. “But I don't mess around or anything. I always have a good reason. Also his sister really hates my guts because her friends hate my guts as well. So you can probably guess that she badmouthed me in front of her parents.”

“That's... tragic somehow. But why is it okay when he drops by after school?”

“It's not. He lies to his family and tells them he visits one of his other friends.”

“Wow, it just has gotten even more tragic.”

“I can't even deny that,” Jinyoung mumbles and once again focuses on his food.

“So yesterday, when he said 'see you at school' he really only meant _see you,_ huh?” Mark ponders, obviously not quite done with the issue. “Hmmm...”

“What?”

“You don't look like a bad boy at all. And in the beginning I thought you were a nerd. But actually you don't look like a nerd either.”

“A fairy has particular expertise in the field of high school nerds?” Jinyoung beholds him with a lopsided grin and a raised eyebrow. This fairy boy is really something.

“Believe me, I worked with enough humans to have a good picture of social structure. But you, you don't fit any stereotype.”

“And why would that be?” Jinyoung is just too curious to find out more about how Mark is perceiving him.

“You're confusing. Definitely too nice for a bad boy, and for a nerd... you're too good-looking?”

Jinyoung almost drops his fork at this. “W-What?”

“You look too good. Humans like other humans who look good. You look good so why are people throwing you into dumpsters? Doesn't make sense,” Mark concludes and once again adorably tilts his head to the side. His dark bangs almost fall into his curious eyes.

“It doesn't matter.” Jinyoung already shared the Jaebeom situation. That's enough for now. No need to reveal any more details about his pathetic life now.

“Maybe you should tell me a thing or two, since we will spend the next few weeks together. I'm gonna find out eventually, but we could do it the easy way.”

“You're magical so it shouldn't be a problem to find out, right?” Jinyoung answers, well aware that he sounds like a stubborn child. To distract from this fact, he just tries to stuff the rest of his food into his mouth all at once, realizing too late that it doesn't let him appear any less childish.

“Of course, no easy way with you,” Mark sighs before he attacks his third chocolate pudding.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“What's up with this room? It looks so run-down,” Mark criticizes when they walk into the practice room after classes have finished. Jinyoung admits it's not ideal. It's dusty and the corners are jam packed with old pieces of furniture, mostly broken. The paint peels off the walls and it's also a bit too dark to exude a welcoming atmosphere. It more reminds of a rather big storage room than an appropriate practice room.

“That's the only room the school is willing to provide us.”

“I see. School is just a horrible concept everywhere, huh?”

“You also were in school?” Jinyoung asks, barely hiding his surprise.

“Of course, we have fairy school where we learn to use magic properly. It resembles human school to a certain degree. We have lessons, overeager snob fairies and.... and fairy tutors.” His voice became quiet when he said the last bit and Jinyoung wonders if there is more to the story of Mark's fairy school experiences. But sadly now is not the time to talk that out. The door opens and BamBam enters the room.

“The kids are coming. Be nice, okay?” Jinyoung quickly whispers.

“Of course I'll be. What makes you think I won't be nice?” Mark snorts.

The brief image of Mark hovering over a freaked out Jaebeom flashes through his mind. “I better not answer this.”

“What the-”

“Bammie! Hey, how are you doing?” Jinyoung greets the new arrival instead of waiting for Mark to finish his complaints. From the corner of his eye he spots the huffy expression on his face and finds it cute.

“Hi, I'm alright,” the skinny Thai boy answers when he stands in front of them, fidgeting.

“That's good. I was worried when I heard that you didn't come to school yesterday.”

“I was..... embarrassed,” the boy admits and his gaze drops to the dirty floor.

“Huh? Why? What's up?”

“I wanted to tell you thank you and that I'm sorry, Jinyoung. If you wouldn't have saved me from these bullies the other day.... I.... I don't know what would have happened. But I felt so bad because I know they chased after you and I couldn't do anything about it because I was so scared. I didn't know what they were doing to you and.... I was too embarrassed to face you yesterday,” the boy sputters and looks up with big, pleading eyes.

“What? Nooooo, Bammie, no no. No need to have a guilty conscience because of me. I knew what I was getting myself into when I called them out. Also they couldn't lay a finger on me. Everything is fine.” Jinyoung gives his best to play the situation down. BamBam wasn't at fault in the first place. And the last thing Jinyoung wants is for him to feel bad about it now.

“But your lip-”

“Naaah, that's merely a scratch. Doesn't even hurt. So no being sad anymore, okay?” Jinyoung smiles at him brightly while rubbing the boy's shoulders. BamBam seems to be a little relieved now. He nods and even offers them a tiny smile. “So this is Mark. He's a new student here and will help us with our project.”

“Hi,” Mark says with a wide smile on his lips.

“Hi, I'm BamBam. So the rumors were true, huh?”

Jinyoung is confused and when he turns to the side he spots similar confusion on Mark's face. “Which rumors?”

“Every class is talking about the new student and how handsome he is. And now I can confirm it.” BamBam gives Mark a thumbs up. But the latter's face screams cluelessness in the most amusing way.

“Uhm... thank you?” Mark eventually comments.

“Okay Bammie, go and search for a chair that isn't broken.” Jinyoung tries to dissolve the weird situation and gently nudges the boy past them before the next two familiar students walk into the room. “Welcome to our practice room,” he greets them full of excitement.

“It smellf like dead witch. If it even unharmful to be in here?”

“I know, Youngjae, I know. It's not the most luxurious room, but it will have to do,” Jinyoung sighs, his initial enthusiasm dampened right away.

“I kind of like it here. At least it's ours, and ours alone,” the tall boy beside Youngjae acknowledges.

“That's my boy!” Jinyoung cheers and lifts himself up on his tiptoes to pat Yugyeom's head. “Let me introduce someone to you. This is Mark-”

“The new student!” Yugyeom interrupts.

“Really handfome,” Youngjae evaluates. Jinyoung thinks that it truly seems like Mark's reputation preceded him, despite not doing anything at all for it.

“Mark, these two rascals are Yugyeom and Youngjae, and they're obviously your fans already.”

“Hi, I'm Mark. Nice to meet you.”

“Whooaaahhh, even your voice is handsome,” Yugyeom fusses. Mark chuckles beside him while Jinyoung is already at the stage of facepalming himself. It's always easy for those two to drive him up the wall. “Rumor had it that he was your friend, Jinyoung, but we honestly couldn't believe it.”

“What do you mean, you couldn't believe it?”

“You know.... just.... why would he?”

“Okay, that's enough for now. Just go.... _somewhere_. Go and find a seat,” Jinyoung grumbles. He pushes them towards BamBam, a little less gentle now. “Sorry about that. They are... free spirits,” he whispers apologetically.

“Seems like they're fun,” Mark says lightheartedly. Jinyoung is relieved at that. He hasn't expected the fairy boy to be so positive when he seemed quite distressed about the whole mission in the beginning.

“This place is disgusting!” Their heads whip around to find the source of the grumbling voice.

“Hello Sowonnie, nice to see you, too. Glad you could make it,” Jinyoung quips as the tall girl walks in like a force of nature. She stops in front of them, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her narrow eyes squinting down at them.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Can you get Jangmi? She's outside and doesn't have the guts to come in,” the girl informs with a shrug.

“Yes, I'm on my way. Sowon, introduce yourself to Mark.” Jinyoung points at the boy who seems now slightly intimidated as he looks up at the girl who is almost as tall as Yugyeom. “Mark, don't let her scare you. She's actually very lovely.”

“Shut up, Jinyoung!” she snaps.

Jinyoung answers only with a grin and a finger heart before he turns around to hurry out into the corridor. He immediately spots the fidgeting girl, leaning with her back against the wall next to the door. “Hey Jangmi,” Jinyoung coos as he walks towards her. She's tiny, a bit on the chubby side and most of the time pretty quiet. Jinyoung knows she's an angel at heart but it's so difficult for people to realize it. “What are you doing here outside all by yourself?”

She looks up at him only for a second before she avoids his smiling face quickly again. “I.... I am a bit nervous.”

“No need to be nervous. You almost know everyone in there and we will just discuss the project today.”

“I'm not sure about it anymore,” the shy girl hesitantly admits.

“Why is that?” Jinyoung carefully questions.

“What if I'm doing something wrong?”

“Jangmi, please believe me that we all will make mistakes while working on this project. And also believe me that you, of all people, won't be the one who makes the most mistakes. I mean, we have Yugyeomie, right?” At his joke she starts to giggle and her shoulders seem to relax a bit. “So we all will make mistakes but it won't be the end of the world. We will figure things out together. It's going to be fine.” The girl finally is brave enough to look up at him for longer than a split second and he rewards it with another gentle smile.

“Okay,” she breathes.

“Awesome!” Jinyoung raises his hand, wordlessly requesting a high-five and the girl grants him his wish, smashing her tiny palm against his.

“Hello.” Both their heads turn towards the door to the practice room. Mark is peeking around the corner. He's waving at them, smiling sweetly. Jinyoung sees how Jangmi's body tenses up again upon seeing the unfamiliar face. Jinyoung signals him to come closer.

“I found somebody who is so kind to support our project,” Jinyoung explains.

“Hello, I'm Mark,” the fairy boy says in an equally gentle tone as Jinyoung uses on her.

“H-Hello, my name is Jangmi,” she stammers. Her eyes are flitting everywhere, but keep returning to Mark's face.

“It's so nice to meet you, Jangmi.” Mark leans down to be on eye level with her. He offers an encouraging smile. Jinyoung has to admit, the way Mark handles the situation breaks down some prejudices he had against the fairy. “Let's have fun doing this project together, oki?”

Unable to speak, the girl starts to nod her head frantically. Jinyoung thinks that she's convinced to do the talent show performance now to one-hundred percent.

“So, we're all complete now,” Jinyoung announces as the three of them file back into the practice room.

“What? No Jaebeom here either?” Mark asks baffled.

“It's still school, isn't it?”

“Huh...”

“So,” Jinyoung starts to speak as he pulls a chair into the middle to join the circle which the kids made. Mark and Jangmi are following his example. “I already spoke to every single one of you beforehand and you all agreed to join the talent show as a team. You also all agreed to sing a cover song. I know some of you have doubts about it and I know it's a big challenge, but I'm sure together we can work this out.”

“And you really think it would put a stop to that bullying, if we perform well?” BamBam speaks up.

“There's hope at least. Right now, those people don't know anything about you guys. Most students at this school never even gave you a chance. They just formed an opinion based on rumors and other people's opinions and went along with it. But if the whole student body would see you up on that stage, seeing that you're more than little imperfections and dumb rumors, I believe they will realize some things and change their opinions.”

“What if we make complete fools of ourselves?” Sowon interjects.

“I truly don't think that will happen.”

“But what if?”

“I'm going to be honest with you. So let's pretend this really unlikely situation occurs that we completely fuck this up. Then what? Nothing. It barely would change anything because frankly speaking, we don't have anything to lose here.”

There's a moment of abashed silence. Tiny doubts start to nag at the back of Jinyoung's mind. Was unconditional honesty the wrong choice after all? No, he tells himself, he needs to be clear with them. Lying won't help anyone.

Gladly Youngjae pipes up eventually. “I think you're right. I don't even care. Let'f do thif!” And gladly the others agree now. Hesitantly, but they agree.

“That's the spirit, Youngjae! Great. So, I think that you would do great with a song by the band 'Hurts'. It's called 'Beautiful Ones'. Probably not everyone of you knows it. I prepared the lyrics here and already marked down who I think would be good to sing which part. Of course it's up for discussion,” Jinyoung explains while he hands out the papers. “Let's read through it and listen to the song. And then tell me what you think about it.”

Jinyoung plays the song and fortunately notices some heads bobbing in time to the music. The reaction could be worse, he thinks as relief washes over him.

“I really like the message of the song,” Yugyeom comments after it has finished.

“The choruf if kind of high-pitched,” Youngjae points out and Jinyoung sees the uncertainty on his face right away.

“I know you can pull this off, Youngjae. I heard you sing before. Also I would like to combine some voices to create background vocals, like a little choir. But we will work on that step by step.”

“Do you actually know how to do this?” Yugyeom asks. A mix of bewilderment and suspicion plays on his features.

“Yes,” Jinyoung confirms.

“You know how to build harmonies and how to... you know... how to put the right types of voices together... uh... and stuff?”

“Yes,” Jinyoung confirms again. “I read books about that. The parts I needed to hear rather than read, I learned from YouTube videos. So yes, don't worry, I can guide you all through this,” he firmly reassures.

A murmur of appreciation sweeps through the room.

“Wow, you're really _that_ dedicated,” Sowon mumbles.

“The fact that you're surprised should offend me, but whatever,” Jinyoung teases. “So, let's discuss the concept.”

And that's what they do. To Jinyoung's satisfaction they come to an agreement on many points with ease. The discussions even seem to raise the level of excitement. Jinyoung hopes that the group will grow closer together soon. They can only get through this with some team spirit.

Since Youngjae had singing lessons a couple years ago, he comes forward to teach the others some vocal exercises to warm up their voices properly. That will be the start of their usual meetings from now on.

Mark and Jinyoung step aside quietly. They want to try to turn this place into a slightly less messy version of itself.

“That went well, right?” Mark asks him with a smile while he's sweeping the floor.

“Yeah, I'm a bit relieved. I expected more objections, but it seems like they are pretty much on board with it.”

“So surprisingly Youngjae's lisp doesn't come through when he's singing, huh?”

“Right,” Jinyoung quietly cheers. “Amazing, isn't it? I found out about it accidentally. I mean, his singing voice would be stunning even with the lisp, but this way it kind of seems like a magic trick.”

“Very cool. I guess the performance will be a surprise for a lot of people.”

“That's what I'm counting on.”

“But isn't Jaehyun coming?”

Jinyoung gasps at the mention of this name and looks at the fairy boy with wide eyes. “N-No, he is... not... I mean.... how do you know about Jaehyun?”

“I saw your to-do list when I came to your room the first time. It said 'talk to Jaehyun'. I thought he might be part of the ki-”

“Why are you reading my stuff?” Jinyoung snaps.

Mark seems taken aback by Jinyoung's sudden change of mood. Still he regains his composure quickly. “Why are you never letting me finish my sentences?”

“Answer me! Were you snooping around?”

“No, genius. It was out in the open on your desk, for anybody to see,” Mark replies, now a bit gruffly as well.

“Yeah, but not for people who walk in through the door. Only for weird things that appear out of thin air in the middle of the room.”

“ _Things_?” Mark snorts. “Well sorry, but that's part of my job.”

“I would be worried if this creepy behavior would be part of my job description.”

“Do you want to pick a fight with me, Jinyoung? Save your bossiness for those who deserve it. I won't listen to this any longer. I'm going to join the kids.” And with this Mark shoves the broom into his hands and leaves him standing there to take part in the singing exercises.

Jinyoung sighs. He suppresses the urge to slap himself. He has no idea why he reacted so irritated as soon as Mark mentioned Jaehyun. Or maybe he does have an idea? Maybe he doesn't want Mark to know that there is a guy who he considers to be a friend, but who still does basically nothing to support Jinyoung's cause, despite being in the position to do it. It's already bad enough that he had to tell him how Jaebeom part-time denies their friendship. This situation makes him look pretty pathetic, Jinyoung realizes. And for some reason he doesn't want to look all that pathetic in Mark's eyes.

Half an hour later they wrap up their first meeting. Satisfied, Jinyoung bids everyone goodbye, except for Mark.

“So, what now?”

“We're going home. We have a lot of work to do. By now my parents are probably back from work so I will introduce you as my friend from school, which technically isn't a lie.”

“Oooh, I'm gonna meet the parents. Exciting!” The fairy breaks into silly cheering.

“Ugh, idiot.” Mark chuckles at that. Jinyoung is actually glad to see him act normally. After their little fight he was worried but it seems the fairy boy remains unimpressed.

Still there is a weird silence between them as they leave school grounds.

“Hey listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I went off for no reason at all. I didn't mean to be such an ass.”

“Oh, an actual apology. I was curious if you would be capable of that.”

“I know when I fuck up, okay?”

“Oki,” Mark chuckles. “Also Bammie already told me a bit about this Jaehyun guy.”

“He what?” Jinyoung stumbles over his own feet and off the sidewalk and almost falls on the street. But Mark is quick enough to jump forward and steady him before his body can greet the concrete. With both his arms tightly looped around Jinyoung's torso, Mark pulls him back to his feet.

“Hey hey hey, no reason to jump, scared baby,” Mark quips.

Still held by the other, Jinyoung turns his head, looking directly into this handsome face with this enticing smile stretching across it. They're too close. These twinkling doe eyes capture Jinyoung again, fully and with intensity. He can't look away. But Mark doesn't look away either. His bright smile slowly fades as he stares back into Jinyoung's eyes. He feels Mark's breath fanning across his lips, like wind of temptation, like a foretaste of what could happen. Once again his gaze drops to Mark's mouth. His lips are slightly parted, as if they just wait for Jinyoung to do something. Goosebumps travel down Jinyoung's skin as the arms around him tighten. Mark's body heat seeps through his clothes and fuels his inner chaos only more. To be so thrilled but so paralyzed all at once is something he never felt before. And maybe he should just kiss Mark. Just breaking the tension, it seems so easy.

Turns out he doesn't have to make the decision, since a honking car snaps them out of their trance. They leap back to the sidewalk and a moment later Mark's arms are gone. A pang of regret goes off in Jinyoung's chest.

Only now, with more physical distance between them, he is able to question himself properly. Why did he feel regret? Why was he okay with the idea of kissing Mark? Where did this come from? The confusion is slightly overwhelming. It's the second time that this happened. And the question remains: is it fairy magic which pulls Jinyoung in and robs him of all his sensible thoughts? Or is it something else, something way more common and human? Jinyoung has no answer to that. Does he even want to know the answer? And why does Mark never look away when they have these weird staring moments? Right, Jinyoung decides, it's the fairies' fault. He should have some control. After all he is magical and Jinyoung is just a human. He can't defend himself against weird fairy magic. It's a convenient solution in Jinyoung's mind.

“Whoa, we were actually blocking the traffic. Maybe we're bad boys after all,” Mark laughs. He makes it seem like they didn't just share an intense and weird moment with each other. Well, that's fine, Jinyoung thinks. He'll just pretend the same.

“Yeah, rebels of the street, wild and unstoppable in our preppy school uniforms. Whoohoo.” The fairy keeps laughing and that makes Jinyoung laugh as well.

“Okay, rebel baby, let's go. I mean.... you have to lead the way so basically you have to go and I have to follow.” Jinyoung complies and they continue on their way home. “Soooooo.... let's pick up where we left off. You're friends with the school prince, huh? What about this is so unpleasant that it makes you uncomfortable? I mean, it's good for you, right? Friends are a good thing.”

“Well, it's a bit complicated.”

“Do you have a crush on him?”

“WHAT NOOO!” Jinyoung squeaks.

“Does he have a crush on you?”

“Also no!”

“Then what's complicated?”

“It's a bit weird. We are not the typical friends-friends, you know? Like hanging out together and stuff. We don't really do this but I still think we have a good connection so it's... yeah... it's weird.”

“You think your different standing in school society has something to do with you not hanging out more?”

“Yeah, most probably. Wait... what about this sharp perception? Are you the same guy who was babbling about time being a floating concept?” Mark breaks into a fit of giggles once again. It sounds cute and it also looks cute. Jinyoung just wishes he would be in his fairy form so he could see those impressive glitter explosions. But they are in public so the view of Mark's smile has to be enough. And basically it is enough. Enough to save whole nations. Mark smiles a lot, Jinyoung realizes. He's a true sunshine when he's in a good mood. But why the heck is Jinyoung thinking so much about his smile now? That doesn't make any sense. What a weird day, Jinyoung concludes.

“Yeah, every 2 ½ years I'm perceptive for a moment. Sorry for the confusion,” he snickers then.

“You're so dumb,” Jinyoung snort-laughs. “It's just that I think you're right about that. If he wasn't the school prince, we would probably be closer. But whatever, it is how it is.”

“Not every friendship has to look the same. Let it be free. Who knows how it will turn out in the future.” Jinyoung gasps. He tries to speak but his mouth opens and closes without a sound coming out. Mark sees this from the corner of his eye and turns towards him with a full-blown grin on his lips. “Pretty wise words, huh? You didn't see that coming either, huh?” he teases.

“I'm honestly as shocked as much as I'm impressed.”

“Good, but don't get used to it,” Mark snickers.

“Don't worry, I won't.”

“Soooooo.... and Jaehyun's friends dislike you, huh? Jaebeom's sister is also one of them, huh?”

“Just how much did Bammie actually tell you?” Jinyoung groans.

“Oh... you know, just this and that.”

“Fine, I make it short. His friends are assholes. They are bullies. I call them out for it. But since they are dumb and ignorant, instead of correcting their behavior, they try to muffle the opposing voices.”

“So you also get bullied.” This sentence hits Jinyoung like a ton of bricks. His brain can't think of anything to say. So he avoids Mark's eyes and nods his head. “Was it that hard to admit?”

Jinyoung tries to sort his whirlwind of thoughts and emotions for a while. The fairy patiently waits for him, just walking next to him in silence. “Yes, it actually was,” he eventually mumbles.

“Why?”

“Why? Because it's humiliating!” he blurts out, looking back at Mark.

“I see you have a lot of dignity, Jinyoung. But it's okay to explain the things how they are. You get bullied. So what? It's not your decision. It's not because you made a mistake. It's because the people who pick on you obviously don't know your worth as a person. It's their flawed judgment, _their_ wrong decision, _their_ mistake. But it doesn't take away any of your dignity.”

And somehow it makes sense, the way Mark explains it. Suddenly he realizes that he explained it to the kids in a similar way before. But never did the thought strike him that he could apply it to his own situation, not until Mark pointed it out to him. He obviously needed that.

“What's up with all the wise words today? You're scaring me,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“But I'm right, aren't I, pouty baby?”

“Stop it with the baby. And yes, you are right.”

“I'm glad we came to an agreement.” Amusement dances across Mark's face. That makes Jinyoung pout even more. “So in conclusion, you're friends with the school prince but his friends harass-”

“He told them to leave me alone though.”

“Good, but I wish they would listen to him more.”

“Well, leaving me alone doesn't mean they also leave the kids alone.”

“So he's ready to help you because you're his friend but overall he tolerates bullying. Wow... okay, now I understand why the friendship thing with him is so complicated.”

“Right,” Jinyoung sighs.

Mark slowly nods his head in understanding. “Sooooo-”

“How it is never good when you start your sentences with 'Soooo'.”

“How you still can't let me finish my sentences.”

“Fine, go on,” Jinyoung mutters, cautiously awaiting which subject the fairy will broach next.

“Soooo, that's a very unique bunch of kids you collected there.”

“They are awesome, right? Who am I telling that?! You actually already befriended them,” Jinyoung cheers full of enthusiasm.

“Uhm yeah, awesome definitely. And very, _very_ unique.”

“Uh-huuuuuh.”

“Why Jinyoung?”

“Okay okay” Jinyoung gives up on playing dumb. “I know what you're hinting at. Let me tell you something about these kids which you can't ever tell another living soul.”

“I'm listening.”

“Well.....uhm.... well.... aaarghh! Why do you make me even say it? You already know they are all victims. And yes, that's the reason why I gathered them together in the first place. They can't defend themselves very well and they all don't have tons of friends who would protect them.”

“So you stand up for all of them,” Mark analyzes.

“Well, kind of.... I guess,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“You're really a modest person, Jinyoung. Not at all a weird human.”

“Uhm... thanks?”

“The way you're trying to help those kids is impressive. The way you helped Bammie when he was threatened by those bullies, well aware that they won't leave you alone...... remarkable.”

“You make me shy.”

“You know, we fairies have a saying. 'Do good and talk about it.' It means that it's okay when you let others know about your good deeds. It's not boasting. You help these kids a lot. You don't always have to be so humble. You can be proud of yourself.”

“Okay,” Jinyoung breathes, once again surprised by Mark's level of seriousness and understanding.

“So these kids get bullied, is that the thing I can't tell another living soul?”

“No, actually it's a bit more tricky. It's about _why_ they get bullied. Since you're part of the team now, I think it's good for you to know.”

Mark nods, his eyes wide and curious, his teeth gnawing at his bottom lip.

“You know... they are not really my friends. At least not for long a long time. I helped them out here and there after I saw that they got in trouble. I just recently got them all together for this project, the talent show.”

“So the talent show was _your_ idea to begin with.”

“Yes, because I think they would do a great job. I found out they all have a musical background, more or less. And they deserve some recognition for their talent. They deserve to shine. And I really hope that other students will change their opinions about them and show more kindness to them. So yeah, it was my idea, but everyone was given the option to say no. But they all agreed. I hope we can do a good job supporting them.”

Mark nods again, offering a little smile now.

“You see, Yugyeomie is like this big, clumsy, naive puppy. His height seems to threaten people but his personality doesn't match at all. So people easily misjudge him. They are confused. They can't figure out in what box to put him. Confusion turns into incomprehension and incomprehension turns into anger. It's sad.”

“Humans are so dumb,” Mark groans.

“Can't deny that. So in fairy world bullies don't exist?”

Mark's expression turns blank all of a sudden. He stays quiet for a few moments until he asks, “So what about Bammie? What is he targeted for?”

It baffles Jinyoung a little how obviously Mark skips his question. Now he's sure there must be more to it. But that's something for later, he makes the mental note. “He's a foreigner, he's skinny and he's too good-natured, and that's enough for idiots to think he's not worth any respect.”

“Ouch.”

“Yep, I mean you witnessed it. He's very capable of speaking and understanding this language and still people think he doesn't belong. Some people are decent, most people just avoid him, and some people like those damn bullies insult him and chase him and hurt him. They say he stinks. They tell him to go back where he came from. They insult his family. I have no idea how he manages to still be such a cheerful kid,” he sighs.

“I'm really getting mad here,” Mark hisses through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, believe me... been there, done that.” Jinyoung heaves a deep sigh before he continues. “I think it's obvious why Youngjae is victimized. He's such an open-minded, smart and witty kid. But people make so much fun of his lisp that in class he barely says a word. He told me that when he's required to deliver a presentation in front of his class, he carefully prepares the text and avoids words with “s” sounds, as much as it is possible.”

“I'm already about to throw hands.”

“I know.... I know. I wish we were done already but...”

“It's going to get worse, right?”

They exchange a telling look before Jinyoung slowly nods. “Sowon has quite a temper and her mouth always works faster than her brain. She's loud, upfront, unfiltered and not exactly restrained when it comes to giving her opinion. People don't like that. They also don't like her height. They say she's too tall for a girl, her behavior too rambunctious to be considered a girl. It's like only guys are allowed to behave a certain way and as soon as a girl speaks her mind, she becomes a disgrace to her gender. It's ridiculous. But she's targeted for it. Some guys call her boy names and say that she's meant to be a guy. The girls are even meaner. Sometimes they completely ignore her, sometimes they insult her. They hide her things or throw them away. Nasty bunch of bitches, they are. I clearly remember the day I met her. I was returning a broom to the janitor's closet. When I switched the light on I discovered her, crouching on the floor, crying her eyes out. She was stained from head to toe with ink. Those girls did that to her. They thought it was funny.”

“Oh fuck.”

“Yeah, exactly. It was awkward at first. I tried to get her to tell me what happened but she's a very proud person and initially she was angry at me for seeing her like that. But eventually she opened up to me and I was allowed to help her cleaning herself. The most tragic thing is probably that she said she doesn't care if she gets bullied or not. She just doesn't want her parents to find out because it would break their heart.”

“It really got worse,” Mark whispers. Jinyoung notices that the fairy boy has a hard time keeping his emotions in check.

“And last but not least Jangmi. You met her so you are aware that she's smart and kind and gentle. But she's also small and shy and a bit on the chubby side, and of course some people only focus on that. When she speaks it's always quietly, as if she's afraid of attracting too much attention. I believe that she wasn't always like this. I think people drove her to be that way. She's often the victim of fake love confessions. Be it a letter or a live confession, it got her nothing but scorn and derision afterwards, because she dared to believe those douchbags. She doesn't believe them anymore.... and still they can't stop to make fun of her. They call her things like pig or fatso. The little confidence she had in herself, all ruined by some dumb fuckers. She means nothing to them. The fact that they hurt her means nothing to them. They just move on to their next victim, not wasting another thought on her, while she will remember these situations for the rest of her life.”

“I don't even know what to say anymore.”

“I get it. I can't stand this anymore either. I can't watch people treating powerless kids like this. I fucking hate it. Those kids, they don't fit in anywhere. They just have themselves. And every day they have to deal with the looming threat of some jerk coming along to make their lives miserable again for no reason.”

“And you really think that winning this talent show would help them?”

“I have hope. One way or the other, it would benefit them.”

“One way or the other?” Mark parrots.

“I was honest earlier. I do believe that it will gain them some respect and acknowledgment when others see their talent. I hope it will result in a kinder treatment. Though who can really tell? Nobody. But _what_ I can tell is that it will help to increase their self-esteem a lot when they manage to perform well. Right now, they don't believe in themselves. They don't believe they can do shit. But when they realize that they can pull this off, it will give them strength and more trust in themselves. So no matter what, they will feel more confident afterwards and I think that makes everything worth it.”

“Park Jinyoung..... you're astounding.”

“What?”

“I think I owe you an apology.”

“Uhm... I can't follow, I'm afraid.”

“When I first met you, I was doubting that you deserve that wish the universe wanted to grant you. I thought you were just some spoiled nerdy wimp who can't do anything else than complain-”

“Cut to the chase please?”

“-and interrupt my sentences,” Mark says, gently smiling. “But this day changed my opinion about you completely. Obviously you're neither spoiled nor a wimp. You're brave. You try to do something for people here, lend those a hand who are in desperate need of help. I'm sorry, I judged you too quickly. I apologize. You absolutely deserve that wish.”

“I don't know what to say. This is so unexpected.”

“Then maybe there's no need to comment on it. Let's just move on,” the fairy boy says cheekily and scampers away.

Jinyoung's jaw drops before he starts to run after him. “Annoying fairy!”

( ﾟдﾟ) 

“Okay, we're going in now,” Jinyoung announces in front of his house. “Try to be normal.”

“I _am_ normal.”

“No, I mean human normal.”

“I guess for a change I won't be performing alien ritual dances while biting off kitten heads then,” Mark answers with a blank expression.

“I didn't mean.... I just... ugh whatever! We go in!” Jinyoung unlocks the door and steps inside. “I'M HOME!”

“Hello sweetie!” His mom peeks around the corner of the living room entry way. Her face lights up when she spots both boys. “Uuuhh, you brought a new friend along,” his mom coos as she walks towards them.

“Yeah, that's Mark. He's a new student at our school. Today was his first day.”

“Uuuuuhhh, and you befriended him right away. That's great. Mark, it's so nice to meet you.”

“It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Park.”

“Our Jinyoungie is a good kid. He will be such a great friend to you.”

“Mom, you don't need to promote me, okay?” Jinyoung mutters, mildly ashamed.

“Of course not. Let me get your father quickly.”

“Mom, wait! There's really no need to....” But she's already on her way. Both boys still awkwardly stand in the hallway when they overhear the conversation of Jinyoung's parents in the living room.

“Honey, Jinyoungie brought a friend home.”

“So? Is Jaebeom staying for dinner?”

“No, it's not Jaebeom. A new friend. A new student at his school. His name is Mark and he seems nice and Jinyoungie seems to be so comfortable with him,” his mom cheers, full of excitement.

Jinyoung heaves a deep sigh and hides his face in his palms. How does he deserve so much humiliation?

“You must be Mark,” his father's deep voice echoes through the house when he hurries towards them. “Nice to meet you, young man.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Park,” Mark answers excitedly, as if he didn't just overhear world's most embarrassing conversation.

“I hope you had a good first day at your new school.”

“Thanks to Jinyoung it was surprisingly pleasant. He showed me around and introduced me to some of his friends. I feel very lucky.”

“Some.... of his friends?” his father repeats slowly, his eyes growing wide with amazement.

“I _have_ friends, okay?” Jinyoung whines, unwilling to believe that his parents could make him look even more pathetic in front of Mark.

“Yes, yes of course you do, sweetie,” his mom hurries to say, sounding not very convinced. “And now you have a very wonderful new friend as well. Ah, what a good day. Mark, will you stay for dinner?”

“Will there be dessert?”

“Mark,” Jinyoung hisses.

“Of course there will,” his mom immediately drowns Jinyoung's voice out. “Do you like ice cream?”

“I love ice cream,” Mark says, offering a million-watt smile.

“He loves ice cream,” Jinyoung's mom cries out blissfully to her husband. “Look at that ice-cream-loving smile, honey.” Jinyoung slightly shakes his head at the whole conversation. What did he get himself into here? “You will get your ice cream, Mark. We will prepare dinner while you boys can go upstairs and play.”

As soon as they enter Jinyoung's room, Jinyoung shuts the door and leans against it. “Sorry, I didn't expect them to make such a fuss.”

“That wasn't nearly as embarrassing as the Totoro incident,” Mark chuckles.

“Oh god, stop!” Jinyoung groans.

“It's funny how you're the one who makes a fuss. Well your parents, they are just excited,” Mark replies casually.

“I guess they aren't used to me bringing friends home.... or having friends at all.”

Mark tilts his head, looking at Jinyoung with soft eyes. “They really have no idea what you're doing at school for the bullied kids, right?”

“They would be worried.”

“Jinyoung,” Mark sighs, “you're truly the most fameless superhero I know.”


	4. 1.4

“I swear, my parents adore you. Two more days and they'll try to find a way to adopt you,” Jinyoung snickers as he shuts the door of his room behind them.

“It's only the third day I'm here though,” Mark points out, a little abashed. “At least officially.”

“The third _consecutive_ day. Believe me, every time you walk through the front door, they send a tiny prayer up to the sky.”

“Well, your parents are very nice. I feel surprisingly comfortable around them.”

“I think the feeling is mutual.”

Jinyoung crosses the room to put his backpack under his desk. When he turns around there's a short moment of shock. Noiselessly Mark turned back into his fairy form. Jinyoung still has to get used to it though. The fairy boy explained that it’s a bit exhausting to maintain the human form for a long time. So whenever they are in the safe environment of Jinyoung's room, Mark doesn't waste any time before changing back.

Even though Jinyoung isn't nearly as surprised anymore about his sudden appearance as he was at their first meeting, he still is caught off guard by the ethereal beauty of the fairy. By now, Jinyoung had some time to examine the details more. But it doesn't leave him any less enthralled than the first time he beheld Mark's exquisite features. The last rays of sunlight stream through the window. The glittery blue stars around his eyes catch the light and flare with new intensity. Jinyoung silently gasps upon seeing this ravishing beauty right in front of him.

“You okay?”

Mark caught him staring. That's the last thing he wanted to happen. So Park Jinyoung, he thinks to himself, get out of this smoothly.

“You look beautiful in the sunlight.” Oh no, that wasn't very smooth.

“What?” Mark laughs out loud. Jinyoung needs to use all his willpower to not get lost in the blue glitter explosions.

“Ugh, nothing. Can I borrow your math notes?”

“Brave of you to assume I take notes in class,” Mark chuckles and lets himself plop down on the carpeted floor. More blue glitter. This becomes really difficult for Jinyoung, since he has the urge to catch the blue sparkles every time the fairy laughs.

“You don't?” Jinyoung asks, stunned. He sits down opposite the fairy and beholds him with curiosity. “Then what are you doing the whole time?”

“Trying to survive this boring shit.”

“A true fairy has spoken, ladies and gentlemen!” Jinyoung snickers.

“I fought my way through fairy school before, so why would I take the trouble to suffer in human school again for nothing?”

“Because you're diligent and ambitious?”

“Good one.”

“Of course I got the fairy with no ambitions whatsoever. _Of course_ ,” Jinyoung mocks. A smug smile is playing on his lips.

“So unfair! You don't know the other fairies, do you? They could all be real slackers compared to me and you'd have no idea.”

“Well... _are they_?”

“Uhm... some of them?”

“Very weak argument.”

“Oki, fine. I'm lazy in human school. What about it? It's not like good grades would be of any advantage to me. Also I have honestly no idea what those people in front are talking about. In fairy school we learned all we needed to know about magic and the rules within we can use it. It was important and interesting and everyone tried their best because they wanted to do a good job later on. But all the things I heard in those human lessons sounded just so uninteresting. I can't imagine that you guys need to know this stuff to do your future job. Also everyone looked bored, so I guess the stuff they are teaching you here can't be that important.”

“That's a very good observation. Here in high school they teach you a broad general knowledge and very detailed knowledge about selected topics. Unlike fairies, humans won't end up doing the same jobs. So it's difficult to teach kids only the things they need later in life. They basically try to tell you anything and everything. You have to struggle through all of this, not because it's important for your future job, but because you have to prove that you can deal with it. They think when you can deal with this, you'll be able to deal with basically anything that life will throw at you later on.”

“Humans are so fucking weird,” Mark mutters. Jinyoung thinks he looks cute when he's trying to make sense of human culture. The creases between the fairy's eyebrows deepen. It surprised Jinyoung that Mark already knows so much about certain behavior patterns, but since he frequently works with humans it adds up. But it turns out there are still quite a few things that seem rather foreign to him. “What do you want to do with your life, Jinyoung?”

The question takes Jinyoung by surprise, but it's not like he never thought about his future path. “I'd like to study social work. I don't know yet what I want to do after graduating, but I would love to work with kids or teenagers who need help which they don't or can't receive from their families.”

Mark's eyes grow wide for a split second before a bright smile stretches across his face. Blue glitter explodes everywhere around him and Jinyoung melts a tiny bit. “Of course you do,” he gasps. “What a stupid question to ask. Of course you'd like to continue helping the less fortunate and deprived people in life.”

“You don't seem surprised?”

“No, because it's typical superhero behavior and I respect that a lot.”

“Superhero my ass. I'd just like to help. That's all-”

Suddenly the door swings open and somebody familiar interrupts him in mid-sentence. “Hey hey, Jinyoung!”

“Jaebeom, hey,” Jinyoung greets his friend with little enthusiasm. When he looks back at Mark, all of his fairy features are gone again, and so is his smile. Now a scowl adorns his face.

“Damn, why did I change back just because of him?!”

“Ugh... sorry, fairy boy. Can't you like... I don't know, _smell_ that it's me coming in?”

“I'm not a damn hunting dog,” Mark grumbles.

“JINYOUNGIE! JAEBEOM IS HERE!”

“YEAH MOM, I KNOW. THANKS,” Jinyoung calls out before he beckons Jaebeom to close the door.

“Why are you in such a bad mood?” Jaebeom questions Mark as he sits down on the floor as well. Actually the fairy was in a good mood until Jaebeom entered, Jinyoung thinks.

“Why are you here?” Mark asks instead of answering the question.

“To hang out with Jinyoung of course.”

“You know, you could hang out with him in school but you seem to dread the thought,” the fairy boy snaps.

“Mark!” Jinyoung mildly admonishes.

“No, Jinyoung. I mean it. He walks in here with such a confidence, as if he believes he's a nominee for world's best friend award. What a joke.”

Jinyoung doesn't know what to say. His brain commends him to say something but it fails to deliver the words to his vocal chords. So Jinyoung just stares at Mark with his mouth hanging open before he takes a look at his best friend. Jaebeom also seems to struggle with such upfront words. All color drained from his face while he blinks at the fairy.

“I... I am a good friend,” he hesitantly defends himself. “What do _you_ even know? You're here for like two minutes and think you know everything?”

“I know enough,” Mark barks. “Boohoohoooo my sister is so mean. Boohoohoooo, I'm scared of my parents grounding me so I just deny my best friend and leave him all alone, fighting against a bunch of bullies. Boohoohoooo, my life is so hard,” Mark ridicules him in a fake whiny voice. “That's how it seems to me. Now tell me that I'm wrong!”

“It's not.... I mean.... I don't.... but... you don't know my parents. They can be really strict.”

Mark raises a questioning eyebrow and looks back at Jinyoung who is still speechless. “That's not your friend, Jinyoung. That's a sad excuse of a friend. We're going to look for a new best friend for you tomorrow. Somebody who deserves you.”

“Hey!” Jaebeom butts in, obviously now snapped out of his abashment. “You can't decide who his friend is!”

“Of course not. But with this behavior of yours you already prove that you aren't Jinyoung's friend. So be quiet.”

“You better stay out of this, fairy boy, or I punch all the sparkles out of you,” Jaebeom growls.

“Try your luck, _human_.” Both jump to their feet. With clenched fists and teeth they stare at each other, both ready to pounce at any moment.

“Okay okay, stop!” Jinyoung squeezes himself between them. With one palm on each of their chests he pushes them apart. “Just what exactly are the two of you planning?”

“I just want to bring him to his senses,” Jaebeom grumbles, not tearing his fierce eyes away from Mark.

“Well that's cute. You actually think you stand a chance,” Mark responds with a sneer.

“Are you crazy?” Jinyoung squeaks. “You freaking won't beat each other up.”

“No worries, only _I_ will beat him _up_.”

“You wish! Getting brave because I'm not in my fairy form?”

“What the fuck is wrong.... with...” Jaebeom interrupts himself. His attention suddenly seems to shift away from Mark. Instead he now stares at something behind the fairy boy. Mark and Jinyoung realize it at the same moment and they turn to see what seems to be more interesting than the current fight.

A purple light shines near the window and it grows with every second. It reminds Jinyoung a lot of the blue light Mark always emerges from, and just like it, it starts to spray shiny purple sparkles as it grows even bigger. And eventually somebody appears in the light, just like Mark usually does.

But that someone lands on the carpet not nearly as soft-footed. With a loud thud and an even louder “HI FOLKS!” another fairy makes an entrance. All three of them stare at the new arrival with wide eyes. This one is blond, just like Mark, but the glittery details around his eyes are lightning-shaped and purple. He wears a wreath of purple hydrangeas. The bushy shape of the flowers makes him look cuter than he probably intend to appear. His half-transparent wings shimmer in a pale lilac.

“Jackson? What are you doing here?” Mark eventually pipes up.

“Markiiiiieeee! Oh my... you look so cute as a human. Adorable! A-do-rable!” the guy squeaks. He jumps forward to snatch one of Mark's arms. He hugs it tightly while he buries his face into Mark's shoulder. Some weird, muffled cooing noises come from him.

“Is he.... uhm... your pet or something?” Jinyoung eventually asks.

“No, he's my coworker,” Mark answers matter-of-factly while he tries to shake the excited guy off.

“Coworker?” the non-pet asks baffled after he raised his head to look at Mark reproachfully. “What is this talk? I'm your best friend, your soulmate, the air in your lungs, your one and on-”

“As I said, this is my coworker. And yes, he's also my friend. His name is Jackson.”

Jackson now scowl-pouts at Mark, obviously disappointed by the lack of affection. “We have to talk about this again, my dear fairy friend, but right now I want to greet your human. Let's see...” His eyes immediately find Jinyoung and a bright smile returns to his face. “It's you! Yes, yes definitely. Mark's description fits. You're really a cute baby,” he marvels and gently pinches Jinyoung's cheek.

After Jinyoung recovered from the surprise he looks at Mark with a punishing pout.

“Don't look at me that way. You do know that this is your most babyish look, right?” Mark says and earns himself a slap on his shoulder.

“Oh and who are you?” Jackson murmurs as his eyes spot Jaebeom. He looks him up and down before his eyes stop on his face. “Well, I certainly want to grant _you_ a lot of wishes.” A smug smile makes an appearance on his lips. But Jaebeom seems to be rather flustered by so much unfiltered attention.

“This is somebody who claims to be my human's friend,” Mark explains with nonchalance.

“I _am_ his friend,” Jaebeom grumbles after he regained his composure.

“Try to act like a friend and we will see,” Mark challenges.

“Okay stop! This isn't going to start all anew now,” Jinyoung interferes.

“Exactly, the cute human is absolutely right. I'm obviously not even done with my introduction,” the new fairy boy announces.

“His name is Jinyoung, by the way,” Mark explains to him.

“Ah yes, you mentioned it. What's the hot human's name?” Jackson asks and points at Jaebeom.

“Traitor.”

“I'm going to fucking beat the shit out of you!” Jaebeom barks at Mark's ludicrous lie. He tries to jump at him but Jinyoung holds him back.

“His name is Jaebeom,” he quickly corrects in behalf of his best friend.

“Lord, so angry and so hot,” Jackson raves, staring at Jaebeom as if he's absolutely mesmerized by him. Jaebeom seems to forget about his urge to end Mark because he's too busy with being flustered again. Jinyoung is wondering if Jackson starts drooling on his carpet soon. But gladly he snaps out of it after a few moments of awkward silence. “So I'm Mark's best friend, and as you can see, his fellow fairy. My name is Jackson Sparklesby. It's very nice to meet the both of you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Jinyoung says, still a bit astounded but also amused by Jackson's whole attitude. “Sparklesby? Is this your last name?”

“It sure is, cute human.”

“Jinyoung,” Mark quickly corrects.

“Cute Jinyoung,” Jackson corrects himself. Mark only rolls his eyes.

“Wow... fairies actually have last names.”

“You didn't introduce yourself with your full name?” Jackson addresses Mark, looking shocked to the core.

“No, and we're all still alive. Good thing. So what are you doing here?”

“I missed you, Markie.”

“What? Why?”

“As I was emphasizing already, you're my best friend. This is the first time you have a mission which requires you to spend so much time in the human world, and I miss hanging out with you. It's so lonely to be by myself.”

“Uhm okay. Thank you. Now you saw me. See you tonight then.”

“Noooooo! I need my fix of best friend energy. And a few seconds aren't enough. Also I like it here. And cute Jinyoung and hot Jaebeom seem to be lovely company.”

“You want to hang out here?” Jinyoung asks.

“Well, of course I don't want to impose on you. And I don't want to inconvenience you either,” Jackson mumbles. Huge, sad puppy eyes are looking up at Jinyoung while the fairy's bottom lip slightly quivers. He fiddles with his index fingers and basically looks like toddler now. “But it would make me super happy, if I could hang out here once in a while.”

“Uh.... oh... okay, I guess,” Jinyoung answers with little eloquence.

“No Jinyoung, you don't need to feel obligated to give him permission just because he looks like a sad blob,” Mark fusses.

“But it's too late, Markie. Cute Jinyoung already told me he would be over the moon, if I spend a bit of my time with you guys here.”

“Well, I didn't say it like-”

“Who wants to discuss these trivialities? Not me,” Jackson dismisses Jinyoung's objection with a cheeky wink. “So what were you up to before I showed up?”

“We were about to calm down,” Jinyoung quickly speaks up and pushes Jaebeom backwards to sit on his bed. With a murmur of disapproval he takes a seat, just like his best friend wanted. “So you're doing the same things as Mark? You're granting wishes to humans?”

“Yes, cute Jinyoung, I sure do. And it's a pleasure to be able to do it every day.”

“This fairy is much more optimistic than yours,” Jaebeom mocks.

“Thank you for the compliment, hot Jaebeom.”

“Nobody asked for your opinion, traitor!”

“Mark! Jaebeom! Please, can you stop it for a while?”

“Oki!” Mark huffs. Well, that was the angriest 'oki' he ever heard, but Jinyoung is satisfied with it. Luckily Jaebeom stays completely quiet.

“When Mark told me about his new mission, I was really intrigued,” Jackson starts to explain. Nobody asked him to, but Jinyoung is glad that somebody is talking about things which probably won't cause a fight. And Jackson seems to love talking. “It sounds so interesting and he learns so much more about the human world. I ask him a million questions every night when he comes back home. It's such a great opportunity for a fairy. And your wish was so unusual and selfless that I really wanted to meet you, cute Jinyoung.”

“Oh, that's very sweet,” Jinyoung mumbles timidly and scratches the back of his neck. It's better he keeps his mouth shut about Mark not mentioning Jackson at all so far.

“Aaaah, you're really cute, cute Jinyoung,” Jackson fawns.

“Jacks, just stop it with the adjectives. It's enough to say their names,” Mark grouses.

“I know, I'm just doing it for the fun. Isn't it fun, everyone?” Jackson cheers full of excitement. But the other three boys only share awkward looks and a thick silence. “I see, guess there's room for improvement,” the fairy admits and shrugs.

Before the situation becomes even more awkward Jinyoung decides to change the subject. To be honest, this question lingered in the back of his mind for the past few minutes so he's glad there's space for it now. “So what is your last name, Mark?”

“Why is this important?” Mark murmurs, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the question.

“Isn't it just fair? You know my whole name so why can't I know yours?”

“It wasn't of interest before, so why now?”

“I didn't know fairies have last names, okay?”

“We aren't animals, Jinyoung. Of course we have last names.”

“But Tinkerbell and her friends-”

“And we aren't cartoon characters either. Just how many times do I have to tell you?”

“So enlighten me. Please Mark, tell me your name.” He doesn't like the thought of making Mark uncomfortable but it simply irks him that the fairy refuses to tell him certain things. To not come across as too pushy, Jinyoung addressed him in his softest tone and delivers a pair of very round and pleading eyes with it.

Mark narrows his eyes upon seeing it. For a second Jinyoung believes he fucked up, but then Mark's expression softens as he heaves a deep sigh. “Mark Fairybutton.”

“Your name is Mark _Fairybutton_?” Jinyoung gawks at him with a mix of surprise and amusement.

“Yeah...”

To everyone's surprise, Jaebeom starts to guffaw and falls flat on his back. Jinyoung then chimes in with blatant snickering.

“What are they laughing about?” Jackson asks Mark. The confusion is plastered all over his face.

“No idea. I actually think Jinyoung is one of the okay humans but sometimes he makes me wonder. He found my first name hilarious too,” Mark explains, seemingly fed up with humans once again.

“Your names,” Jinyoung speaks up as he tries to catch his breath, “Sparklesby and Fairybutton, they are just so cute; so very fairy.”

“You shall not laugh about a Fairybutton, my friend,” Jackson urges with a seriousness he didn't show before. He suddenly exudes such graveness that both, Jaebeom and Jinyoung, immediately stop their little party.

“Huh? Is this name something special?” Jaebeom questions.

“Oh yes, everyone who is blessed with the word fairy somewhere in their names belongs to The Graced Ones. Those fairies are bound to turn out remarkably. May it abilities, talent, power, The Graced ones have it.”

Jinyoung swallows after processing this information. His wide eyes take a look at Mark, who just quietly fidgets next to Jackson. His hand once again wandered to the inside of his wrist.

“So they are like a special edition among the fairies?” Jinyoung asks, full of curiosity.

“Yeah, you could say it that way,” Jackson confirms. “Though it hasn't done Mark any good.”

“Jacks!”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing!” Mark quickly interferes. “He's just talking nonsense.”

“I beg to diff-”

“It's not important!” Jackson pouts at his friend. It's clear that there is more to the story and it's also very clear that Jackson would like to share it. For a few more moments Jinyoung considers, if he should respect Mark's wishes for privacy, but his nosy teenage self wins out over the idea.

Without a word he walks over to the door and opens it. “MOM? MARK WONDERED IF YOU WOULD SHOW HIM THE PHOTOS OF LAST YEAR'S FAMILY VACATION!”

Only a few seconds later the reply echoes from downstairs. “OH SURE, I'D BE THRILLED. SEND HIM DOWN. I ALSO HAVE SOME COOKIES HERE. AND I KNOW HE LOVES COOKIES.”

“GREAT MOM! THANKS!”

The fairy boy stares at him with his mouth agape.

“You have an appointment,” he points out to Mark. The latter gasps a few times at Jinyoung's smug smile before he regains his composure.

“So you decided to be a baby fox today, huh?”

“Never underestimate me, Mr. Fairybutton.”

“Fine, I'll go and spend a nice time with your mom and cookies, and you will be here with Jackson, who will tell you absolutely nothing. As you wish.” And just like this, Mark struts out of the room.

Jinyoung closes the door behind him before he quickly requests, “So Jackson, please spill the beans before he comes back.”

“Alright, but better sit down first,” the fairy boy advises and takes a seat on the floor himself. Jinyoung follows his example and even Jaebeom crawls down from the bed, beholding Jackson with curious eyes.

“The only reason why I'm going to share this with you is because Mark told me about you and what a very good human you are. And you,” Jackson says and looks at Jaebeom, “well, you happen to be here in the same room so what can I do?! But I warn you, if one of you will ever use this to hurt Mark, I'm going to stuff glitter down your throats until you'll never can speak another word, okay?” Jackson finishes with a wide, close-lipped smile.

Jaebeom and Jinyoung slowly nod in sync, taken aback by the threat. “How come fairies look so pretty and sparkly but manage to scare the shit out of you in mere seconds?” Jaebeom mumbles to Jinyoung.

“If you don't make us angry, there's no reason to fear us. But humans need to know that they can't walk all over us,” Jackson explains casually. “So as I said The Graced Ones are unrivaled in abilities and power, but they usually have to pay a price for it. They look a little.... uhm... not so very fairy. They mostly look a bit.... _odd_?”

“Do you try to find an euphemism for 'ugly'?” Jinyoung asks.

“Yes!” Jackson flashes a relieved smile at him. “Exactly that's what I'm trying. Thank you for helping me out here. So yeah, fairies usually have very visually pleasing appearances, but The Graced Ones never turn out too pretty. But Mark.... well you saw him. No explanation needed.”

“He's gorgeous,” Jinyoung blurts out.

“Uhm... yes,” Jackson snickers. “Exactly that's the point.”

“So that means he's a Graced One with great looks but less abilities?” Jaebeom wants to know.

“No no no no, he has all the power of a typical Graced One and the good looks are additional.” Jaebeom and Jinyoung quietly marvel at the revelation. “So usually you would think he has an easy life, but when you're that special, there's always someone who dislikes it. He's different from what he's supposed to be, and that is frowned upon.”

“So fairies are mad at him for being outstandingly powerful _and_ handsome? That sounds crazy,” Jinyoung gasps.

“It's considered abnormal and the typical fairy doesn't approve of anything that varies from standard.”

“Oh.... now I understand. Most humans don't do that either,” Jinyoung murmurs, thinking about his kids and all the troubles they have to face on a daily basis.

“The younger fairy generations are a lot more easygoing with those things. But the older, conservative generations don't accept it. So when we were in fairy school, Mark of course excelled. Our classmates were okay with it. There were some enviers, but they didn't dare to spell it out. They knew that messing with a Graced One wouldn't be the smartest idea. However, it was different with our fairy tutors.”

Jinyoung has a sense of foreboding as he cautiously asks, “W-What do you mean? They... have been his tutors.... _his teachers_ , so they had to take care of him, right?”

The way sad memories flood Jackson's mind is visible on his face. His lips tighten into a thin line when he shakes his head no. “They were usually really good tutors, and yes, they took good care of us fairy students, but it wasn't the same with Mark. They assessed his performances unfairly, they ridiculed him in front of the entire class, they never let an opportunity slip to tell him that he's a freak and that he puts The Graced Ones to shame. But the most cruel thing was.....”

Jackson's shoulders slump. Jinyoung's mind races, trying to find a way to brace himself for what there is to come. But then Jackson continues to speak and Jinyoung realizes this isn't easy for him either. Before his pause, his voice already quivered slightly. Now it is noticeably worse.

“There was... this one time when three of them kept him after lessons. They sent everybody else out first so they were alone with Mark. Then they grabbed him by his wings and sneered at him. They said if he's such a strong Graced One, he should be able to shake them off and fly away. And if he wouldn't be able to, they won't let me pass the upcoming exams. I never had any trouble with any tutor but suddenly they made this about me to challenge him. And Mark, well he wasn't having any of it. So he.... he tried to fly but they, three grown fairy men, continued to hold him down. They insulted him. They kicked him into the side to make it even more difficult for him. And he tried so hard and they hurt him so bad. He was fighting for several minutes until he eventually managed to escape. Though he couldn't fly away. They almost ripped his wings out of his back. They were hanging down limply, in tatters. And there was blood everywhere..... so, so much blood.” Jackson's voice cracks. It takes him a moment before he manages to continue. “I waited for him outside because I already assumed that they were up to no good. But I never expected them to go this far. I swear, the moment I realized what it was that crawled there on the ground, dyed in red, was one of the scariest experiences in my entire life. And I wasn't even present when the real crime happened. Mark was barely conscious after he made it out of there. I picked him up and brought him to a healer. Fairies recover a lot faster than humans, but still it took him two months until he was completely healthy again.... _physically_. But at least he did recover, because I'm sure a normal fairy wouldn't have made it.”

Thick, hot teardrops roll down Jinyoung's cheeks. The thought of what Mark had to go through in his life devastates him. Never would he have assumed that someone like Mark had to face those hardships. It reminds him of what his kids went through; of what he himself went through. Now Jinyoung understands why Mark seemed much more on board with the project as soon as he met the kids. He can relate to them much better than any of their classmates. Also it's quite clear now why he reacted so strongly when Jaebeom tugged at his wing.

He steals a glance at his best friend. His head is lowered, lips quivering. Seems like this horrible story didn't leave him indifferent as well.

“I don't... know what to say,” Jinyoung murmurs amid tears.

“It's okay, you don't need to say anything. I can see very well,” Jackson says and beholds him with a fond smile. He reaches out to pat Jinyoung's head gently.

“Did he have to go back to fairy school, back to those terrible people?”

“We reported them to the fairy council. And gladly they lost their jobs and were punished. It was better for Mark after that, though the new fairy tutors still weren't as open-minded as it would have been necessary.”

“Oh...,” is the only thing that comes to Jinyoung's mind while Jaebeom sighs beside him. The onslaught of thoughts and emotions, which Jinyoung currently tries to sort, gets stirred up even more when the door to his room swings open and a cookie-eating Mark trudges back in.

“You know what? Those cookies are worth every- wait, why are you crying?” The fairy stops dead in his tracks as soon as he spots Jinyoung. His wide doe eyes sweep over the other boys and eventually he sighs, “Damn, Jackson.”

“I didn't promise anything, you know?”

“I just thought you wouldn't. Ugh!”

“It's for the best.”

“I wish you would let me decide what's for my best.”

“But sometimes you make stupid decisions and it's my responsibility, as your best friend, to intervene.”

“I can't believe _you_ say that _I'm_ the one who makes stupid decisions. Is this some kind of parallel world?”

Before they can continue to bicker, Jinyoung stands up and walks over to Mark. Wordlessly, he takes his hand and pulls him out of the room, across the hallway and into the bathroom, where he locks the door. When he turns around he looks at Mark's confused face, a few cookie crumbs still clinging to his lips.

“What are we doing here? Does this baby want to wash its tear-stained face?” Mark chuckles, but Jinyoung notices his hand on his wrist once again. It's just too obvious that he tries to gloss everything over, but Jinyoung isn't having any of it. He takes Mark by his shoulders and walks him backwards until he sits him down on the edge of the bathtub. Jinyoung takes a seat right next to him, close enough so that their arms and thighs are touching.

“I want to talk about what Jackson told us about you,” Jinyoung quietly announces and stares down at the tiled floor.

“Why?”

That's a good question, he realizes. Why is it important to him? Jinyoung doesn't quite know why, but he can't suppress the urge to do it anyway. “You know so many things about me already, I want to know more about you, too. Though I wish there would be more joyful things to share than... than _this_ ,” he mumbles. Mark's body heat seeps through his clothes. This situation seems too real and at the same time kind of surreal. Jinyoung's emotions are still all over the place but he tries his best to stay focused.

“Well.... what exactly did Jackson tell you?”

He can sense that Mark isn't looking at him either. Maybe it's for the better. Jinyoung can't imagine to have this talk with Mark's observant eyes on him. “About how you're different from the usual Graced Ones and how it finds little acceptance in the fairy world. He told us about the fairy tutors and how they talked you down and belittled your abilities and....”

There's a long pause where nobody is saying anything. It's not awkward, it's just that both of them seem to be busy with organizing their thoughts.

“The wings incident,” Mark eventually finishes Jinyoung's sentence.

“Yeah,” he breathes. For another long while none of them talks at all. Jinyoung still doesn't look at the fairy boy. Instead he stares at his own feet, trying to find answers which he knows won't ever be found down there.

They are close enough so Jinyoung can hear Mark swallow beside him. What kind of thoughts and memories must race through his mind right now? It's probably hard for him. Jinyoung can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to be singled out and harassed by the ones who are supposed to protect and educate you. It seems as absurd as it seems disgusting.

Fresh tears brim in his eyes. He tries to hold them back but it's difficult. Eventually Jinyoung tilts his head to the side and rests it on the fairy's shoulder. The feeling of Mark's body tensing under him is confusing. Is it because he doesn't trust Jinyoung enough? Or because Jinyoung's action is uncalled for in this situation? He has no idea, but for him it feels right. So Jinyoung moves his hand only a few centimeters from his own thigh to reach Mark's arm. And with utmost gentleness Jinyoung starts to caress the inside of Mark's wrist.

A tremble rushes through Mark's body. Jinyoung feels every single vibration of it. But then Mark relaxes a bit and releases a long held breath beside him. And then Mark leans in and Jinyoung feels his cheek against his head.

“That was the most terrible thing I ever experienced. I was always this way, so I had gotten used to a certain degree of disapproval. But never....” Mark swallows and takes a few moments before he continues. “Never would I have expected that creatures can hate so much, to the point where they're capable of doing what they did to me. I did nothing wrong. I didn't harm them. I didn't want anything from them, and still they hated me.... just for existing the way I am.”

“I'm so sorry,” Jinyoung sobs. He fought back his tears for the longest time.

Mark gently shakes Jinyoung's hand off his wrist and instead laces their fingers together, their forearms now comfortably resting on Mark's thigh. “Of all beings in the different worlds, _you_ have the least reason to be sorry.”

“It's just so unfair that this happened to you. And I'm so mad and disgusted and..... so powerless.”

“I know.” He feels Mark nestling more against him. “That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to tell you.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You're so compassionate, Jinyoung. You feel so many things for others. How can I bear to add another burden on you?”

“That's ridiculous. Burdens are easier to carry when they're shared.”

“But not when you carry so many shared burdens already. I'm scared you'll break down under the weight one day.”

Jinyoung ponders about it for a while as he stares at their joined hands. To his own surprise it doesn't feel awkward at all to be like this; to be so close. It feels intimate but not in a scary way.

“So that means you never would have told me?”

“Probably not.”

“You know, some magical dude once told me it's not a shame to get bullied.”

A tiny chuckle makes Mark's body tremble. “I don't say this magical dude was wrong. Not at all. I'm well aware that it wasn't my fault. It just.... wasn't a good time. I have so many bad memories from fairy school that I want to avoid thinking about it, if possible.”

“Oh.... sorry for broaching the subject then. But I still have to admit that I'm glad I know this part of you now.”

“Then at least it was good for something,” Mark mumbles. Jinyoung can hear the smile in his voice.

“How many Graced Ones are there?”

“I don't know. We don't have a club or something. I just know that when I went to school there were two other Graced Ones, but they were older than me.”

“Are they Fairybuttons, too?”

“Noooo, there was Donny Maplefairy and Celia Fairylino. Every fairy name only exists once. It would be too much confusion with same last names. No idea how humans get this stuff organized.”

Now it's Jinyoung's turn to chuckle and shake Mark's body with it. “I'm glad Jackson came to visit.”

“Yeah? At least that makes one of us.”

“Oh come on, he's your best friend and for all I know he adores you.”

“Yeah yeah, but you will regret that you gave him permission to hang out here. He talks so fucking much all of the time.”

“I don't care. I think he's nice. Also he's partly responsible for me smartening up. I outgrew my cartoon fairy knowledge. I have learned so much about you and fairies in general today,” Jinyoung marvels.

“I learned a lot about you as well.”

“That I'm a cry baby?”

“Yeah this as well, teary baby. But also that you look terribly good in shorts.”

Jinyoung swiftly lifts his head off Mark's shoulder to look at him with huge eyes. “W-W-What.. are you talking about?”

“The photos of your latest family vacation, not bad at all. I was wondering how hot it must have been that summer for you to walk around in such short pants.”

“Stop it!” Jinyoung uses his free hand to slap Mark's chest.

“No, it's fine. You have the perfect legs for it. They deserve all my praise and respect,” Mark continues, the glint of amusement sparkles brightly in his eyes.

“Nooo, no no! Stop it! Stop it!” Jinyoung slaps his chest a couple more times until Mark lifts his free hand to capture it. Now he basically holds both of Jinyoung's hands, more or less gentle. He looks at Jinyoung, smiling so prettily that nobody would think this fairy ever went through a single hardship.

“Pouty baby,” he snickers.

“Well I'm not the one with cookie crumbs all over my face.”

“What? Where?”

“You need to release at least one of my hands so I can help you with that.”

“Nah, then I keep the crumbs for later.”

“Wha-what?”

And then this smug smile appears on Mark's pink lips. Though, quickly it fades again when they share a long look. Just how did they end up in this situation yet another time? Way too close, basically all over each other, too high body temperatures, and such mesmerizing eye contact. Jinyoung holds his breath. The sudden tension between them is too high to maintain something as trivial as breathing. Mark's eyes twinkle at him like he's the only worthy creature in the universe. And maybe Jinyoung is imagining it, because yes, his mind is still all over the place, but it seems like Mark slightly leans in, comes even closer, and closer. Or is the world around them moving? No, it's definitely Mark. And as he comes nearer, a hot wave of excitement surges through Jinyoung's body.

“JINYOUNGIE SWEETIE? ARE YOU IN THERE?”

Gone. Mark's hands, Mark's stare at him, Mark's attention, everything gone in less than a second. Wistfulness washes over Jinyoung despite knowing that the reason for separating is a valid one.

“YES MOM, WHAT'S UP?” he manages to croak out.

“I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM, SWEETIE.”

“Ooooh....,” Jinyoung gasps.

“What now?” the fairy whispers.

“Let's just pretend nothing's up. Just friends chilling in the bathroom together. Nothing suspicious.”

“If you say so...”

Mark seems unconvinced but it's not like they have a choice. So they walk over to the door and Jinyoung unlocks it.

“Oh wait, I could just turn back into fairy form and disap-”

That would have been a splendid idea, if they would have thought about it before Jinyoung teared the door open. Now they have to face the consequences of their dumbness. Jinyoung quickly walks past his mom, head lowered to hide his red eyes. But his mom's attention shifts to Mark immediately anyway.

“Oh, Mark sweetie, you're... in here as well?” The confusion in her face almost hurts Jinyoung physically. It's best to move fast so she can't ask unpleasant questions, he thinks. “What were you both doing in there?” Too late.

“Ugh.. you know... just chil-”

“Jinyoungie showed me his Totoro underwear because I think it's so cool and I want to get a matching pair. We needed to do this in here because we want it to be a secret from Jaebeom. He shouldn't get jealous of our friendship,” Mark lies through his teeth with the most enchanting smile on his face.

“Oh you two rascals,” his mom giggles mischievously. “Alright, you have my word, I won't tell him.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Park. You're our most precious ally.”

“Oh you!” she continues to giggle, now even more girlish. “When I go shopping next time I will look for Totoro underwear. I hope I can get a similar pair for you.”

“That's so nice, thank you.”

“No no, it's my pleasure. And now go. You can't leave Jaebeom alone for too long or he will get upset.” She playfully shoos them away. “You boys are really something,” she giggles before she enters the bathroom.

“Your mom is too adorable. She really acts as if we're 10-year-olds,” Mark whisper-snickers.

“I should be worried about how good you're at lying,” Jinyoung whispers on the way back to his room.

“No, you got it all wrong. It's an advantage, worried baby.”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes and huffs a breath before he opens the door to his room.

But when they come back in, a weird atmosphere dominates it. Both guys seem to be rather flustered. Jaebeom's face is as red as a tomato. He sits on Jinyoung's bed with his back pressed against the wall. Jackson loiters by the window. What confuses Jinyoung the most is that the fairy boy emits a weird purple glow. A glow he never saw coming from Mark.

“You both okay?” Jinyoung asks after eyeing the whole scene. Jaebeom nods frantically and Jackson gives his thumbs up.

Next to him Mark sighs dejectedly. “Jacks... what the heck?”

“Huh? What's up?” Jinyoung now asks Mark.

“Uh... nothing... hopefully. Jacks?”

“Nothing's up,” the fairy assures with a crooked smile, while the purple glow slowly fades.

“Sure,” Mark snorts. “Honestly, we were gone for a couple minutes only.” He turns to Jinyoung, one hand scratching the back of his neck. “Jinyoung, I think it's better when Jackson and I leave now.”

“Uhm... okay? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes of course. We just have fairy stuff to do.”

“Okay then. See you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Have a good night. Sleep well and for once don't worry too much.” The gentle smile on Mark's face also brings a smile to Jinyoung's lips. “And you,” Mark addresses Jaebeom, “nah, never mind.” Jaebeom blinks at him, still flustered. But Mark doesn't seem to care. He grabs Jackson by his arm as he mutters, “Say goodnight, Jackson.”

“Goodniiiiiii-” Mark turns back into his fairy form and pulls the other into a blue and purple sparkle cloud before his friend has the chance to finish his sentence. Then they're gone and they took all the sparkles with them.

“Well, that was weird, wasn't it?”

“Uhm... I don't know? Maybe? They are f-fairies so what do I know?” Jaebeom sputters.

“What did you talk about with Jackson?” Jinyoung walks over and also drops onto his bed.

“Just... small talk?”

“You're kind of weird. Did you have a fight with him or something?” Jinyoung's confusion peaks now. Not only seemed Mark to realize something which stayed hidden from Jinyoung, no, now also Jaebeom obviously has something he refuses to tell.

“No, we get along well. He's a nice guy. Much nicer than your fai-”

“Don't badmouth Mark!” Jinyoung snaps.

“Oh okay, sorry. I didn't mean it that way,” Jaebeom says feebly. “Did you have a good talk? I see that you cried some more so....”

“Yeah, I did, but it's fine. We had a very good talk.” And a few very special moments, Jinyoung adds in his head. Special moments which he will remember later when he lies alone in his bed in the darkness, asking himself what exactly is happening between him and Mark.


	5. 1.5

Jinyoung steals cautious glances at Mark as they walk down the empty corridor. They are currently on the way to the art room to pick up supplies for making some promotional posters. Later they want to put up those posters all around school to draw attention to their participation in the talent show. But Jinyoung's thoughts revolve around something else. He ponders for a while already how he should broach the subject. But since they are alone right now and he also doesn't seem to find a better approach, Jinyoung decides to just throw it out there.

“Uhm... earlier I saw you picking up a book for Minnie.”

“What Minnie?” Mark turns his head to look at Jinyoung. And of course, the little tilt to the side underlines Mark's confusion in the cutest way.

“This one girl in our class, long brown wavy hair, a lot of makeup, pretty... unfortunately.”

“Ah yes, I know. What's up with her?”

“Why did you do it?”

“Uh... she dropped it right in front of me so I picked it up. No big deal. Also you told me to be nice.”

“Yeah, but not to the enemy, Mark. _The enemy_!” he points out with particular emphasis.

“The enemy?”

“Minnie is one of the chef bullies here.”

Realization slowly makes an appearance on Mark's face. “Oh.... fuck. I didn't know. I barely can distinguish the people here yet.”

“Okay, guess I should have explained to you who is an ass and who is okay,” Jinyoung sighs.

“Would have been helpful. But alright, no Minnie help anymore. Got it. Though she doesn't seem like a bully.”

“Just ask the girl whose shoes she set on fire. I think she has a different opinion.”

“What? But not while she was wearing them, right?

“No, so far she didn't set a human on fire. On the other hand, she's only at the start of her career as a villain, so who knows what there is yet to come?”

“Damn,” Mark whispers, appalled. “Who is the girl?”

“She changed schools after 'the incident'. I hope she lives an easier life now.”

Mark solemnly nods. “Next time she drops her book, I'm gonna spit on it.”

“That's the spirit!” Jinyoung cheers. “Though she might set something you own on fire then.” Jinyoung shrugs casually before he flashes Mark a cheeky grin.

“Good that I don't own much anyway. Basically it's just the stuff I'm wearing and you.”

“E-Excuse me, what? Did you just say you own me?”

“Well, you're my human as long as I'm in charge of your wish,” he explains as if it actually would be a normal thing to claim.

“No no no no, you don't own me.”

“That's a matter of opinion,” Mark retorts with nonchalance. Now he is the one who flashes the cheeky grin.

“No! No! No! No!” Jinyoung opposes vehemently.

“In my head, every single one of your 'noes' automatically turns into a big 'yes'.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Jinyoung tries again, following the new rules of the game.

“I didn't think you'd like it so much to be owned by me, but I appreciate your enthusiastic approval.”

Jinyoung's jaw drops upon the fairy's slyness. But then he gives up and says with a pout, “I never had a chance, huh?”

“No, but at least you're cute when you're losing,” Mark snickers.

But Jinyoung can't chime in. The fact that Mark called him cute does things to his body which he doesn't approve of. Wild heart fluttering and a rising blush are the most bothersome symptoms. And involuntarily his thoughts rush back to yesterday, when they were way too close in the bathroom. It took Jinyoung three hours to fall asleep last night. The memory of Mark leaning in kept playing in his head even with his eyes closed. Was the fairy boy really about to kiss him? Or was he trying to do something else? Do fairies even kiss? Jinyoung has no idea but it confuses him deeply. What would have happened, if his mom didn't interrupt them? In the beginning Jinyoung would have rejected even the idea of getting closer to a fairy in whatever way. But now that he knows Mark better, it's difficult to defy his attraction. No, basically it was difficult to defy his attraction right from the start. But now the answer to the question, if Jinyoung even wants to resist him, is pretty uncertain. Anyway, they didn't speak about the bathroom situation and it's clear that Jinyoung doesn't have the guts to touch upon it now.

“What are you thinking about, blushy baby?”

“NOTHING! THE KIDS! THE TALENT SHOW! THOUGHTS!” Jinyoung blurts out, obviously without doing a lot of thinking beforehand.

“You think thoughts, alright.” A twinkle of amusement glints in his eyes as he raises one eyebrow. “Actually now that you mentioned the kids, Bammie showed me the designs he made for the show outfits. It's impressive. I didn't expect a lot to be honest, but he's really good. He's such a talented kid,” Mark gushes.

“I know,” Jinyoung retorts curtly.

“He's so kind and sweet and funny-”

“I know! What's your point?” Jinyoung snaps. With this, he not only surprises himself. Mark looks at him completely taken aback. His enthusiasm is gone in the blink of an eye.

“I... uh... I don't have a point. I just... uhm.... okay, never mind.”

What's wrong with himself? Jinyoung ponders frantically. Normally he would be the first one to chime in when anybody praises one of the kids. But not now. Not with Mark. And the name Mark suddenly appears in his mind in big, flashing capital letters. It's him, Jinyoung begins to understand. Not BamBam is the problem, it's the fairy boy. When Mark's attention is directed to somebody else, something ugly stirs in Jinyoung, a possessiveness which he never felt before. But he's entitled to it, isn't he? After all Mark is his fairy, or he is Mark's human or whatever. So Mark should dedicate all his attention to him, shouldn't he?

On the other hand, Jinyoung wished for his help regarding the kids. And every time he sees that Mark gets closer to one of them, it makes Jinyoung's heart leap in his chest. These kids aren't used to make new friends, and seeing how they become so comfortable with him is a great joy. So how can he criticize the fairy boy for doing what he himself wished for? All these thoughts are so confusing. He somehow has to sort this out later. But for now he knows that he hates Mark's dejected expression.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. Mark is eyeing him cautiously. “I didn't mean to be so snarky. It's not like you did something wrong.”

“It's fine, you have a lot on your mind today, right?” The soft tone of his voice combined with his just as soft eyes on him, melt all the edges away from Jinyoung.

“I guess so.”

“Just don't stress yourself too much and-”

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, BAFTARD!”

The sudden familiar voice makes them prick up their ears. They exchange a quick look before Mark asks, “Isn't this Youngjae?”

“Damn, you're right. And it sounds like he's in trouble.”

They immediately start to race down the corridor, following the echo of the voices.

“Baftard? What is a baftard? Learn to speak not like a retard before making demands, loser!”

“Maybe we can help you to learn. For every wrong word we will punch you in your damn ugly face. What about it?”

They hear the mockery directed towards Youngjae. Jinyoung grows angrier with every passing second as he and Mark run through the building. He is sure that he recognized the gibing voices of Dumb and Dense. And just as they turn a corner and spot the open door to the auditorium, they hear Youngjae's desperate pleas.

As fast as the wind they enter the assembly hall and immediately spot the kid, crouching down on the floor, his arms curved protectively over his head and face while Dense is bending over him.

“YOUNGJAE!” Jinyoung yells to catch the bullies' attention. It works. With wide eyes both jocks notice them running towards the scene. Jinyoung mentally prepares for a fight as Mark suddenly puts his hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

“Get Youngjae out of here! I take care of them!” the fairy boy grunts. Before Jinyoung can even react, Mark pounces on the bullies like a lion pounces on its surprised prey.

“MARK! NO!”

“GET YOUNGJAE!” he hears the fairy boy bark, right as he lands a punch on one of the jocks.

“BUT YOU NEED HEL-”

“JINYOUNG GO!”

And as if his body reacts automatically to the dominant note in his voice, he peels the trembling Youngjae off the floor and drags him out of the auditorium.

“Jinyoung! Jinyoung, I'm sorry,” the boy keeps whimpering while Jinyoung tries to get him quickly as far away as possible. But the fear turned Youngjae's legs into jelly so the boy stumbles more than he's effectively moving forward.

“No need to be sorry. It's alright.” Jinyoung puts an arm around his torso and Youngjae's arm around his shoulder, to steady him while they stumble forward. “It's not your fault. You're safe now. Everything is okay.”

It feels like they are running for hours but deep down Jinyoung knows it's been mere minutes. He doesn't want to leave the frightened boy alone but he's desperate to run back to support Mark. After all it's two against one and he has no idea how Mark is holding up.

But sometimes he lucks out in life. Not often, but today is obviously one of those days when a tiny bit of luck is on his side. And it crosses his path in the form of Yugyeom who comes in sight.

“YUGYEOM!” Jinyoung yells. The addressed boy takes a look around and spots them without trouble. A worried look occupies his face as soon as he realizes something is wrong.

“Jinyoung! What happened?”

“Here, just take Youngjae somewhere safe and calm him down!” Jinyoung quickly requests as he nudges Youngjae into Yugyeom's waiting arms. Without further ado, he makes a U-turn to run back to the auditorium.

His heart almost jumps out of his throat, the way it fiercely beats in his chest. The echo of his steps screams in his ears. Adrenaline rushes through his veins while countless scary thoughts run through his mind. He wouldn't know what to do, if Mark got injured. He silently prays that everything will be okay but his mind won't stop to ask him: But what if?

What if Mark was beaten to a pulp just because he stood up for Youngjae and for him? His eyes start to prick with tears, but he desperately scolds himself that now is not the time to cry. He has no right to cry. He has to make sure that Mark is safe and the rest isn't important now.

Finally the door to the auditorium is in sight and without decreasing his speed, he bursts into the room and almost trips and falls. He barely can hold himself up. But when he stands safe on his own two feet and actually has time to assess the situation, the view takes a load off his mind. The jocks are gone. And Mark at least sits straight up on the floor. But when he stumbles towards the fairy boy, he sees him pressing a bloody handkerchief against his face.

“Mark!” Jinyoung gasps and collapses on the floor right next to him. “What happened? How are you? Where are they?”

“I beat their asses and they fled,” Mark states casually.

“Y-You did?”

“Sure.”

“And your face?”

“Just a scratch.”

Jinyoung heaves a deep sigh as relief washes over him. He hugs Mark's middle and buries his face in his chest. Now one or two stray tears silently find their way into Mark's shirt.

“Hey, it's alright. Everything is okay,” Mark tries to soothe him just like he tried to soothe Youngjae a few minutes ago. Suddenly there is a warm palm on his back, gently rubbing circles into the fabric of his school uniform. And that's the moment when Jinyoung realizes that his whole body is trembling.

And another realization kicks in. The reason why this feels so foreign and overwhelming is because this situation is entirely new to him. So this is how it feels when he isn't on his own against a bunch of bullies. This is how it feels when somebody offers protection. This is how it feels to worry about someone who's at risk to get hurt in behalf of him. It feels so weird, so new, and so warm.

“Oki, now it's enough. If you don't get away from me my blood will drip onto you and that's disgusting. So come on, stand up, baby.” Jinyoung pulls his head away from his chest to look up at him. Mark's soft, kind eyes calm Jinyoung down a bit. That is until he spots the handkerchief which is entirely soaked with blood now.

“Holy shit! We need to get you to the infirmary.”

“It's actually not that-”

“INFIRMARY I SAID!”

“Just calm down, I'm fi-”

“Get up!”

Jinyoung jumps to his feet and pulls the reluctant fairy boy up as well. Without trying to continue the discussion he grabs Mark's hand (the one that isn't occupied with pressing the handkerchief to his bloody nose) and starts to drag him through the school building. Mark obviously realized that it doesn't make sense to argue with him further and follows obediently now.

When they enter the infirmary Jinyoung immediately spots the school nurse. With wide, worried eyes she examines both of them.

“Oh my... what happened to you?” she asks, staring at the blood smeared Mark behind him.

“Mrs. Cho, can we have some privacy, please?”

“Park Jinyoung, _I'm_ the school nurse and this is _my_ workspace. You can't have privacy when there's an emergency,” she mildly scolds.

“I know that it's actually your job to help, but... I can do this. You won't have to waste your precious time on us. I can do this as well. I'm actually practicing health care lately so... yeah... please?”

Jinyoung tries to send her a pleading look with big, round eyes. She raises a questioning eyebrow at him before she heaves a sigh. “Are you sure? This is the new student, right? It looks pretty bad.”

“It's actually noth-,” Mark tries to explain but Jinyoung has this under control.

“It really looks worse than it actually is. No big deal. I got this!”

“Fine,” she eventually gives in. “You're lucky. Mrs. Lee just called me and said that she spotted two students who look like they got a serious beating.” Jinyoung exchanges a quick look with Mark. “So I'll be out for a while anyway. But if you need help, you'll call me, okay?”

“I promise. Thank you, Mrs. Cho.”

“Good luck, Jinyoung. And well, good luck to you, too,” she says to Mark and offers him a sympathetic look.

As soon as she shut the door behind herself, Jinyoung swivels around and takes the handkerchief from Mark. “Damn she's right, you look like a fucking disaster.”

“Well, thanks.”

“You know what I mean. It's bad, Mark. BAD!”

“From composed caregiver to panicked baby in less than a second. Wow!” the fairy snickers.

Jinyoung walks him backwards until he bumps into the pristine bed behind him. Involuntarily the fairy takes a seat while Jinyoung stands in front of him and assesses the damage. “I'm glad I got her to leave.”

“Why though?”

“You're a magical creature. What if your blood suddenly starts to sparkle?”

“Well, it doesn't.”

“Or what if tiny rainbows emerge from your wound and bounce around the room?”

“Now this is plain weird. How do you make this shit up?”

“I don't know, okay? I just thought it's better she doesn't even have a chance to see something she isn't supposed to.”

“Oki, it's fine,” Mark chuckles. But unfortunately this causes more blood to trickle out from his nose. Jinyoung pulls a stool up to sit opposite Mark and quickly grabs a cotton pad to press it against his wound. Fond eyes are meeting his worried ones.

“Your pretty face... damn. And I'm sure it hurts like a bitch.”

“Calm down. Pain isn't anything much for fairies. Also it will heal super fast, a lot faster than it would take for humans. I think the bleeding even stopped already.”

And it's true, when Jinyoung takes the cotton pad off his face there's no more blood flowing from his wound. He turns around and grabs some wipes to get the remnants of dried blood off his face. “So should I disinfect it now?”

“I don't think it's necessary. It will heal soon. Don't worry.”

Mark seems rather optimistic but Jinyoung can't suppress the heavy sigh leaving his lips. “I'm sorry, Mark. You shouldn't have faced them alone. I should have stayed with you.”

“I don't know why you apologize, because first, I'm fine and second, Youngjae clearly needed to get out of there. He looked like being on the verge of a panic attack. So basically everything is fine.”

“Except your face.”

“I'm disappointed you only make a fuss about my face when I have so many great inner values to offer.” Jinyoung starts to snicker at Mark's feigning of hurt feelings.

“Oh stop it, you're such an actor,” he laughs. “I just don't want to send you back to your family looking all ruined. They'd be mad at me.”

“That's very considerate of you, sweet baby, but no need to worry. Fairies don't have families.”

“W-What? What do you mean, fairies don't have families?”

“Fairy society doesn't follow the human example of family and relatives. Fairies are born loners. You don't have other fairies which are attached to you by default. Sure, you can make friends among fairies, like Jackson and I, but even that is rather uncommon.”

“What? But Tinker Bell has a lot of friends. There are Rosetta and Periwinkle and Silver-”

“Nah nah nah nah, no more fairy tale and cartoon knowledge. I thought we were over this.”

“Yeah, I know, but.... I thought fairies are happy creatures who would be busy frolicking through a wildflower meadow in the sun, playing and laughing with their friends the whole day.”

“Expectations versus reality. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but reality is that most fairies are rather competitive. Not much friend material among them, if you ask me.”

“Wow.... that sounds very lonely,” Jinyoung mumbles and looks down at his fidgety hands. It's true that a magical world dreamed up by humans doesn't look at all like Mark describes it. The realization hits him harder than he expected. Maybe not only because his own conception of a fairy world is destroyed, but also he realizes how difficult Mark's life must have been as a victim of bullying without the love and support of a family.

“Hey hey hey, don't look so sad, okay? You can't compare this to human relations. Fairies are used to live like that,” Mark tries to console him.

“But that doesn't mean it would hurt to receive some sympathy and support,” Jinyoung mumbles through his pout.

Jinyoung looks up and meets Mark's soft eyes. “Jinyoung,” he sighs. “Come over here and keep me company.” He playfully pats the white sheets right beside him, shooting him a cheeky wink along with the invitation. Jinyoung doesn't make Mark wait. Too tempting is the chance to be physically close to the fairy boy again. And so he quickly stands up and plops down on the bed, not leaving any space between them. A tiny affirmative hum comes up Mark's throat, making Jinyoung feel welcomed by his side.

Though now that they are so close again, Jinyoung can't possibly look at Mark. That would be too awkward. But an advantage is definitely the way he feels Mark's side pressed up against his and the familiar body heat which seeps through his clothes. So Jinyoung just returns to watch his own fingers for a while. That is until Mark's hand suddenly appears in front of him. The fairy boy gently pulls Jinyoung's head against his shoulder. Another invitation which Jinyoung gladly accepts. Mark's shoulder feels way too comfortable to decline. The distinctive clean smell of flowers and cotton enwraps all his senses.

And the next second a strange but pleasant feeling spreads over him. It's like warm water gently streaming down his body but without getting him wet. When he turns his head he sees a baby-blue curtain of glitter flowing down his shoulder. The shock would probably be great, if he wouldn't be too busy being fascinated by it. Suddenly it dawns on him. Mark draped his wing over his head and shoulder. That's the comfortable feeling that suddenly surrounds him. It's so nice and soothing that Jinyoung is almost lulled to sleep by it. But then another thought rushes through his mind like a fast train. He turns his head and looks up to catch a glimpse of Mark.

“You're in your fairy form? _Here_?” he squeaks. “What if anyone sees you?”

“Nobody will. It's only you and me. Don't worry and just try to relax a bit. And no more being sad on my behalf.”

So Jinyoung tries exactly that and it's not that hard under the comfortable, flowy glitter blanket. He snuggles his head closer to Mark's neck and shuts his eyes.

“I didn't know your wings can do this.”

“They can do even a lot more. Very functional things. You'd look good with wings, too.”

“Yeah? Which color would you give me?” he mumbles into his shoulder.

“Pink, because it suits you and it also looks good together with blue.” A smile makes its way on Jinyoung's lips. Is Mark actually flirting? Do fairies even flirt?

“I'd like that. And which kind of flowers?”

“Pink baby's breath, of course. Everything baby fits you perfectly.” The noticeable smile in Mark's voice lets Jinyoung's smile grow even wider.

“Can I learn to be a fairy and earn my fairy features?” Jinyoung quips.

“Hmmmm, that's rather difficult. We don't recruit. Actually fairies don't get born either, unlike humans.”

“You don't?”

“No, fairies are created. We're not from earth and we're not from heaven, we're both. When star dust falls down on earth and hits flower pollen, a little fairy kid appears.”

“Woooow, that's so interesting and.... so different from all I imagined. I guess surprise appearances are a typical fairy thing from an early age on.”

“What do you mean?”

“You appear as little fairy kids just as surprisingly as you appeared in my room.”

Mark chuckles at that. For a second Jinyoung considers to open his eyes just to catch sight of the blue glitter bursts, but this position is too comfortable. “You panicked so much when I showed up the first time. So amusing.”

“Glad my fear could entertain you. But wouldn't everybody be kind of surprised when a fairy shows up suddenly? I mean, I can't be the only one, right?”

“Well, that's true. Though I'm mostly tasked with wishes for kids. And as you can imagine, kids react very differently. Here are the top three reactions from kids. First: 'I waited so long and finally you're coming to me.' Second: 'Whooaaah, so cool!' And third: 'Can I eat the glitter?'”

“Kids are awesome,” Jinyoung snickers.

“They sure are. That's how I learned about the 'My Little Pony' characters, by the way.”

“Oh, so you didn't actually watch it?”

“Like fairies would watch TV, duh.” Jinyoung quietly snickers and shakes Mark's body up with it. “I had a client once, a cute little girl named Hyejin, and her biggest wish was to meet the characters of 'My Little Pony'. Apparently she really was into unicorns. She also loved to pat my wings because I reminded her of-”

“Fluttershy!”

“Actually Rainbow Dash, because of the color.”

“Makes sense.”

“She told me about them and showed me all her plushies and merch.”

The mental image of Mark interacting with the little girl, listening to her unicorn stories while holding her plushies, is just too adorable. “And did you make her wish come true?”

“I can't bring cartoon ponies to life, that's beyond my power. But I put very realistic pony-themed events into her dreams and she could interact with them all she wanted.”

“I bet she was super happy.”

“Yeah, very much.”

“I'm so glad,” Jinyoung sighs.

“JINYOUNG, ARE YOU HERE?” The loud voice and the sound of the door forcefully slamming against the wall, startles both of them. And suddenly everything is different. The peaceful atmosphere that flowed like a calm stream dissolved into thin air. The pleasant feeling of the protective wing around him is gone as well. Mark's comfortable warmth is taken away from him, too. Jinyoung realizes the fairy jumped to his feet and changed back into his human form in the blink of an eye. With his heart still beating heavily from the surprise, he watches a flustered Jaebeom approach them. “Jinyoung! How are you? Are you well? I just heard about the fight. Are you hurt anywhere? At least you don't look hurt.”

“Oh, you become faster at responding to your _best friend_ being in danger. Great. I mean, you're still too late but better than last time,” Mark mocks.

“Shut up!” he huffs as he pats down Jinyoung's face.

“Jaebeom, stop this.” Jinyoung shakes him off, rolling his eyes at him. “As you probably noticed, I'm okay. It was Mark who faced the bullies and protected Youngjae and me from getting involved.”

The surprise is very evident on Jaebeom's face. His eyes swiftly travel to Mark, eyeing his swollen nose. “Oh....” Now surprise turns into sulkiness. It's clear that Jaebeom is slightly overwhelmed with the situation. “But you are okay, yes?” he addresses Jinyoung again.

“Yes, I'm fine.”

“Alright. I have to go back. See you later.” Jaebeom struts out of the room with two pairs of incredulous eyes following him.

“I worked with enough children to know that this is typical brat behavior,” Mark points out after the door is shut again.

“I have no idea what's up with him, but please try to be nice to him.”

“I already try so hard. Believe me, I give it my all to suppress the urge to push his head into the toilet whenever I see him.”

“Mark, don't be a bully,” Jinyoung laughs at the fairy's sudden burst of creativity. Jaebeom was right, fairies can turn into scary bastards very quickly.

“Maybe if he could stop being a damn coward....”

“This is how it is. People are all different. Some come forward and fight while others clam up.”

“That might be usually right, but he's your _best friend_ and therefore it's treason.”

If Jinyoung is honest with himself, he thinks Mark has a point. He would welcome Jaebeom's support a lot, but something holds him back and Jinyoung can't blame him for it. Can he demand from his friend to get himself into trouble just because he himself lives his life like that? It's a tricky issue and Jinyoung is tired of thinking. That, and he also feels some regret after the loss of Mark's wing around him. The feeling was so unique and calming, but of course he can't ask Mark for continuation. “Well,” he eventually sighs, “please give him some more time. I believe in Jaebeom.”

“I guess I can't argue then.”

“So do we want to get those supplies now?”

“Oh damn, I already forgot we were on a mission. Let's go!”

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Jangmi, right now you sing so beautiful, but you sing for the really, really tiny beings in this world. You sing for ants and baby mice and guppy fish. But I want you to also sing for the tigers and elephants and giraffes in the world. Can you do this?”

“I like tiny beings. They are less scary,” the girl murmurs in her seat, opposite of Jinyoung.

“I know, and I also know it's not your style, but I need you to sing a little louder than that,” Jinyoung pleads. But the girl only stares at him for a few seconds, obviously terrified just considering the idea, before she examines the floor of their practice room.

Jinyoung not only tries to teach them all together, but also coaches the kids one on one, giving them hints and ideas for improvement. He knew before it wouldn't be easy, and it came true. He tries to cater to every kid's needs with understanding and encouragement. But Jangmi is so shy and quiet that it's especially difficult to get her to open up more.

“If you want to stand a chance against Youngjae's voice in the chorus, you have to step up your game a little.”

“I don't want to stand a chance. Youngjae can have the chorus. He's amazing. I just fade into to the background then. It's fine with me.”

“No no no no, you won't. Both your voices sound amazing together and it would be such a waste to hide it from the world. I also told Youngjae to tone it down a little. But it's Youngjae so he still sings very.... let's call it impactful. So if you could please sing a little louder, Jangmi. Pleeeeaaase.”

Jinyoung knows his puppy eyes don't work on the girl but he tries it anyway. Still she looks very unsure of the whole idea. He can practically see the wheels in her mind turning for solutions, but not coming up with anything. Jinyoung is well aware that it demands a certain level of courage from her to step even more out of her comfort zone, but if they want to deliver the best performance possible, everyone has to give it their all.

“Hey Jangmi,” Mark suddenly calls from the other side of the room. He stands with his back and arms pressed against the wall behind him, looking a bit weird. “Please sing loud enough so I can listen to you over here. I'm glued to the wall and can't come closer. Please please please!”

Everyone starts to giggle at Mark's silly behavior, Jangmi included. But it also seems to inspire the other kids.

“Please sing loud enough so I can hear you over here as well! Please, Jangmi!” Sowon calls from a corner of the room.

“I want to listen to your voice as well,” Yugyeom cheers, after he ran to another corner. “I can't come closer because.... uh.... gravity is strong over here.”

Everyone keeps snickering. Jinyoung is glad to see the tension disappear from Jangmi's face.

“There you have it. Your teammates want to hear your lovely voice. You think you can make it happen?” Jinyoung asks, offering her another encouraging smile.

“Well, maybe I could try it.”

And she does try it. And with every new attempt and supportive claps and cheers from the other kids, she sings a little louder. And eventually Jinyoung asks Youngjae to chime in and as expected, they sound awesome together. Everyone listens to them with dreamy smiles on their faces, Jinyoung realizes as he takes a look around. A little inner happy dance is well deserved, he decides.

He lets them practice together now. It seems like the penny dropped and they can work out the rest on their own.

“Look what you did there,” Mark quietly says when he leans against the wall next to him. “This is amazing, Jinyoung.”

“What _I_ did there? I think you played an important part as well. Great idea to encourage her in a fun way.”

“It was just a quick idea. If the other kids wouldn't have joined in, I would have looked like an absolute clown.”

Jinyoung snickers because Mark might be right with this assumption. “Let's call it a team success.”

“Yes, this team is truly special. But honestly, without your initial encouragement she never would have opened up like that. You're awesome, Jinyoung.”

The blatant praise and the sparkling eyes on him almost render him speechless. “I'm not,” he mumbles. “Nothing special.”

“No, don't go down the humble road again. There's no need. Your work here is very special and we both know it. I just wonder, how does it come you walk through this school and be the cool and suave Park Jinyoung, who is smart and helps people who need help the most, like the superhero you are, but in front of me you always turn into a cute baby?”

Jinyoung is taken aback by the question. He didn't see it coming at all. But maybe now it's his time to flirt a little. He might be able to throw Mark off the track now.

“What if I'm acting like a baby around you because you're the only one who I would let see this side of me?”

“Hmmmm,” Mark hums and tilts his head to the side. “How could that be?”

“Yeah, please try to figure out how that could be. Why am I okay with you witnessing this side of me when I hide it from everyone else? Please find out why you're that special,” Jinyoung requests, his voice soft with a challenging note in it.

Mark's eyes widen instantly. The fairy opens his mouth in an attempt to say something but closes it right away without any sound coming out. And yes, Jinyoung enjoys that Mark is flustered because of him. He's glad he can suppress the smug smile that wants to settle on his lips.

“Yo Jinyoung!” He would have loved to revel in this moment a bit more but Sowon is patting his shoulder and says, “I love what you guys have done with this place. At first I thought I wouldn't survive five minutes in here but you actually made it passable. No idea when you found the time for it, but I like it a lot more now.”

After saying these words she walks back to the group of kids. And now that Jinyoung takes a long and scrutinizing look around, he sees what she's talking about. The broken furniture, which was messily stored in the corners of the room, is gone. It's a lot cleaner and somehow more sunlight streams through the small windows. It looks brighter and wider. And even the paint isn't peeling off the walls anymore. But Jinyoung knows in fact that he only gave the floor a sweep. There was no time to do much more yet.

“This was you, right?” Jinyoung whispers to Mark.

“According to your wish, I'm supposed to help the kids win. And I thought they're more likely to win, if they feel comfortable in the room where they spend their time practicing. No bid deal.”

“Mark Fairybutton, you amaze me in the most pleasant ways these days.”

“Yeah? I just observe though,” Mark plays down his magical help.

“I mean it. I asked for your help and had things like hanging up posters and getting refreshments in mind. But the way you involve yourself... that's more than I expected from a fairy. More than very fairy. It seems a whole lot like a human trait, I'd say.”

“Do you want to pick a fight with me?” Mark quips and pulls a face.

“This was a compliment, fairy fool. Don't ruin it,” Jinyoung laughs and playfully slaps his shoulder.

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! LISTEN EVERYONE! FRONT PAGE NEWS!” BamBam yells as he suddenly bursts through the door. Everyone immediately stops what they're doing because with this noisy entrance he has all attention drawn to him.

“Bammie, what the heck? We're practicing in here. I thought you were aware of it. Also you said you would come _a little_ later but I guess that was an understatement,” Jinyoung mildly scolds the boy.

“Sorry sorry,” BamBam blurts out as he gasps for air. “But this is not the time for pettiness.”

“Did he just call me petty?” Jinyoung asks in disbelief.

“He abfolutely did,” Youngjae laughs.

“So what are those important news?” Sowon demands to know.

“Rumor has it Minnie has a crush on Mark! OUR MARK!”

Every head turns towards the respective boy, who looks rather unbothered. Jinyoung wishes he could share this feeling because inside him a storm of clashing feelings and confusion is brewing.

“Wait, how do you even know this?” Yugyeom questions.

“Apparently one of Minnie's minions let it slip to a friend and apparently somebody else overheard the conversation and told his friends and now the info seeps through the entire student body.”

“Is this the book girl? The chef bully?” Mark asks Jinyoung quietly. The latter only manages to nod his head.

“What a nerve!” Sowon grumbles. “Mark is one of _us_! She thinks she can just invade our space and take him from us?”

“Yeah, you're right. Thif beaft doefn't deferve him!”

“What are you gonna do?” Jangmi quietly addresses Mark.

“Uh.... why do I have to do anything? If she has a crush it's her problem,” Mark points out and shrugs his shoulders, as if the whole topic doesn't concern him at all. A small wave of relief surges through Jinyoung.

Youngjae and Yugyeom start to guffaw at Mark's casualness and yes, maybe it is funny, Jinyoung thinks. He just hopes that this won't cause more problems for anyone.

“So now that we heard these big news, maybe we can continue to practice,” Jinyoung suggests matter-of-factly.

The uproar dies down as quickly as it rose and everybody returns to what they were doing before.

“Hey Jinyoung,” BamBam says as he approaches them. “I think it would be good if Mark and I make the posters. I have some design ideas on my mind and I think Mark and I are a good team. We could work this out in the afternoons at my house.”

And there it is again, the possessiveness, the feeling of sudden panic that rushes through Jinyoung like a tsunami. The idea of BamBam spending time alone with Mark, moreover the alone time which he himself is supposed to have with Mark, is stressing him out.

“No! No, I don't think that's a good idea,” he blurts out.

“W-Why not?” The boy is confused. Jinyoung better delivers a reasonable explanation.

“Uhm.... you already take care of the outfits _and_ participate in the performance. That's enough.”

“But I consider it fun to do the outfits and it's the same thing with making posters. And Mark and I get along well, like a really good team and-”

“Mark and I are also a good team. We're making the posters. It's okay. But I would like to thank you for your commitment.”

“But-”

“It's fine. You're doing enough,” Jinyoung says with a crushing finality and indicates that this discussion ends here.

“Uhm... if you think so... I guess okay then,” BamBam stammers and beholds Jinyoung with a quizzical look before he joins the other kids.

“That was upfront,” Mark points out, an eyebrow raised.

“It was the truth. BamBam is doing so much already and I want his focus to be on the performance.”

“Oki, if you say so, suave baby.”

( ﾟдﾟ)

After they are done with practice, Mark is not all that excited about Jaebeom waiting for the both of them in front of school. Honestly, Jinyoung is even surprised by his friend's behavior, since he never did this before. But Jaebeom tags along. It's not like Jinyoung doesn't like him coming with them, but the atmosphere is different. It simply feels like he can have better conversations with Mark when they're alone.

Jinyoung's parents are very excited to see him coming home with both his friends. It baffles him how his parents seem to consider the possibility of Jinyoung scaring them away at any moment. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense that they greet them with so much relief visible on their faces every time.

To his surprise Mark immediately starts to make sketches for the posters while Jinyoung and Jaebeom are busy with homework. Mark decides homework isn't for part-time humans.

“Wouldn't it be easier to make pretty posters with the help of your fairy magic instead of making them by hand?” Jinyoung asks as he beholds the deepening crease between Mark's eyebrows.

“It would be easier, yes, but I want to actually put some work into it,” the fairy boy, back in his sparkly fairy form, explains.

“Okay, then-”

“How do you like this design?” Mark turns the sketch block around to show him the result of his work.

“Uhm... it's very.... _unique,_ I'd say.”

Jaebeom breaks into a fit of giggles, which earns him a fierce glare from Mark.

“You don't have to be all lenient with me. If it's ugly, just say it's ugly, Jinyoung.”

“Okay, it's kind of... not so pretty,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“That means _ugly_!” Jaebeom cackles.

“I got it, genius!” Mark huffs and crumples up the piece of paper.

“Uhm, sorry,” Jinyoung mumbles. He doesn't want to be the reason for Mark's misery, but that sketch wasn't pretty at all.

“Nah, don't apologize. I just think that BamBam would have done a better job. Ugh!”

“No no no, we will get there. I'm done with homework anyway. I'm gonna help you now.”

“Please, you draw like a blind worm, Jinyoung,” Jaebeom snickers.

“Last time I checked you weren't Picasso either, so maybe it would be a good time to stay quiet.”

“Yes, baby! Let him have it!” Mark cheers Jinyoung on.

“Don't be so sensitive. I was just pointing out the truth.”

“At least we try to help with something, instead of just sitting on our asses, doing nothing,” Jinyoung snaps.

“Okay, so you just decide to be sensitive,” Jaebeom murmurs feebly. “Anyway, when will Jackson drop by?”

“What do you mean? I don't know if he has time today.” But just as Mark finishes his sentence, a purple light starts to flare by the window.

“HELLOOOO PRETTY BOYS!” Jackson announces as he jumps out of the glitter cloud.

“Wow, he's really here. Could you hear us talking?” Jinyoung asks.

“Huh? Were you talking about me?”

“Anyway,” Mark says, “what are you doing here?”

“I'm done for today. I finished a quick case. Imagine saving someone's life and as a reward you'd pick a life long supply of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. To each their own, I guess,” the purple fairy explains and plops down on Jinyoung's bed, next to Jaebeom. Very close next to Jaebeom, Jinyoung notices.

He closes his books and stands up from his desk chair to sit down on the carpet next to Mark. He low-key tries to catch a glimpse of his latest sketch and realizes the fairy didn't came far yet.

“I told you how my day was. So how was yours?” Jackson wants to know. His usual cheerfulness is something that makes him very likable, in Jinyoung's opinion.

“Nothing special,” Mark murmurs as he continues to draw.

“Markie? What the fuck is this in your face? Did somebody hurt you?” Jackson suddenly asks, his good mood wiped away in an instant.

“Huh?! Oh that, nah, nothing much. Don't worry. It will be back to normal by tomorrow.”

“But what happened?” Jackson screeches, obviously not following the advice of not worrying.

“It was just a tiny fight. I won. You should see the other guys.” Mark smiles up at him and that seems to calm his friend down a little.

“I didn't expect humans to hurt you. Why is there no world for you to live safely in?” Jackson sighs, crestfallen.

His last sentence breaks Jinyoung's heart. “It was my fault!” he blurts out.

“That's not true. It was my own decision. You have nothing to do with it.”

“But if it weren't for me-”

“Youngjae would have gotten the beating of his life and we wouldn't have been able to forgive ourselves for it.” Mark has a point. Still Jinyoung would feel better if he would have ended up with this injury instead of Mark.

“Is Youngjae one of your kids from the project?” Jackson asks excitedly. The cheerfulness came back as quickly as the sun from behind a fluffy cotton-wool cloud.

“Yes, he is. And he's such a great and witty kid. He's also one of our main singers. His voice is awesome and we really made some progress today,” Jinyoung raves.

“Oh, tell me more about your day. How were you doing today with all your human kids?” Jackson continues to ask, showing honest interest.

“It was amazing. This one girl, Jangmi, she's so shy but I encouraged her and Mark had also a really good idea and then the whole team supported it and then we could lure her out of her shell. It was so amazing. She sings the chorus together with Youngjae. They sound fabulous! FABULOUS! And soon we will tackle the parts all of them sing together and I doubt that the result will sound any less fabulous. Towards the end of the song there is this part where they chant 'we are, we are, we are the beautiful ones' and it's going to be big and it's going to be perfect and I know they will nail it and I know they will emotionally capture everyone in the room. The whole student body will be thrilled to bits after their performance. It will happen!”

“Wow....,” Mark marvels.

“Yeah, wow exactly,” Jackson agrees. “That passion!”

“I told you, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did. I can see it clearly now.”

“W-What's up with you? Why are you both talking in riddles?” Jinyoung mumbles, suddenly shy and defensive after he ended his enthusiastic speech.

“You're so passionate about this and I can feel it with every word coming from you,” Jackson explains. “Your enthusiasm and dedication is impressive.”

“Exactly!” Mark chimes in. “You're a dreamer, after all.”

“D-Dreamer? No, it will happen. I know it will. It will come true just like I said.”

“Yes, flustered baby, it will come true. What I meant was that it always needs someone who has big dreams to start something. Without a vision nothing would ever happen. And for these kids, you started it all. Without you they never would have found the courage to do this. They wouldn't even have dared to dream about it. But you did. You're an enabler, Jinyoung.”

“Oh.... wow, this is too much praise but... uhm.. thank you, guys. I truly appreciate it.”

“You were so right, Markie. He's so, _so_ cute,” Jackson screeches.

“I know,” Mark giggles. “I really know.”

Jinyoung can feel the heat rising to his face. He doesn't know how he ended up in this situation, but two gorgeous fairy boys praising him to the skies, feels overwhelming.

“I don't find him _that_ cute,” Jaebeom suddenly mutters. Jinyoung is surprised by the statement. He's not terribly offended that his best friend doesn't find him cute but yes, definitely astounded by the blunt words.

Jackson also seems puzzled, while Mark looks rather annoyed. “Yeah? Then can you go home and find him not cute there? Because nobody cares about your opinion.”

“You can't kick me out!”

“But I can punch your face until the stupidity stops spilling out,” Mark grumbles.

“Okay, and now we'll calm down again. Thank you,” Jinyoung interferes. But he spots Jaebeom's weird expression. A pang of worry goes off in his chest. “You okay? Do you want to talk alone maybe?”

“No, it's fine. I'm okay.” Jaebeom rubs his palms over his face before he heaves a deep sigh. “And I didn't mean it like that. Of course you're cute. Just look at you with all your idealism and courage, and your round eyes and pouty lips. Everyone who doesn't find you cute is an idiot. And I'm...” He pauses and rakes his fingers through his hair. “Mark is right, I'm stupid today. I'm a walking, talking big failure today. Just ignore me.”

“Do you really not want to talk more about this?” Jinyoung questions. Now he's even more worried.

“No, I'm fine. I'm going to..... do better in the future. I promise.”

Jinyoung doesn't know what he means. Everything his best friend just said is cryptic to him. Jinyoung wants to help him somehow but he decides to patiently wait until Jaebeom is ready. “It's alright. Don't pressure yourself, okay?”

Jaebeom nods with an uneasy smile on his lips. Though that expression is replaced by sheer surprise as soon as Jackson squeezes his thigh. It probably is supposed to be a gesture of encouragement, but Jackson's hand might be a little too far up his thigh for that.

“I think you're doing great,” Jackson tries to cheer him up. “A fault confessed is half redressed. That's a human saying which I picked up at some point. Way to go!”

Now the smile on Jaebeom's lips isn't that uneasy anymore. It's tiny, but honest. Jackson is really good at that stuff, Jinyoung realizes. The purple fairy boy continues to direct words of encouragement at Jaebeom. Jinyoung's eyes wander to Mark, who observes the two guys on the bed with a quizzical look. But soon he notices Jinyoung's gaze on him and turns his head to meet it.

“Don't look at me that way. I won't tell him that he's doing great just because he experienced _one_ moment of clarity.”

Jinyoung bursts into a fit of giggles. “Don't worry, I don't expect anything like that. And Mark Fairybutton, you're truly one of a kind.”

“I heard that many times before, and never in a positive way.”

“But I mean it in a positive way. You're very special in the best way possible,” Jinyoung says in his softest voice. He reaches over to quickly squeeze Mark's hand. The fairy boy seems flustered for a moment, until Jinyoung continues, “So what about your sketches?”

“Damn, I give up. I'll just use magic for the posters. Not normal magic, nooo, Graced-One-magic. Just wait, those will be the damn best posters for the damn best kids out there.”

Yes, definitely very special in the best way possible, Jinyoung confirms one more time while he watches Mark's enthusiasm flare up.


	6. 1.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey, I'm back after a long time. :) Sorry for the fairy break. I am busy with work and my story for the upcoming MarkJin ficfest (find all information about it here: https://twitter.com/markjinficfest), so unfortunately this story had to suffer a little. T_T But I hope you're ready for some MarkJin magic now. :D

“Hey, Jinyoung!”

Jinyoung looks up from the pile of books, which he just shoved into his locker, to spot Jaehyun approaching him. The boy casually leans up against the wall of lockers right beside Jinyoung and flashes him his typical charming smile. “Ooohhh, school prince! Hello!”

“You keep calling me that,” he groans but adds a little laugh.

“Facts, school prince, only fact. And you're not with your entourage. What a nice day.”

“And _you_ are not with your entourage either.”

“Mine? You mean my talent show kids?”

“Exactly. You know, there are rumors going around about what you're doing with them in this dusty storage room, but nobody exactly knows what is happening. But rumor has it that it's something fascinating.”

“Never before have rumors been that true.” A satisfied smile stretches across Jinyoung's face. Hell yes, this school has something to look forward to.

“I'm intrigued already. Will you tell me more?”

“I'm sorry, we rather use the element of surprise.”

“Too bad, but I understand.”

“Minnie and her scary girl gang will compete as well, I heard.”

“That's right.”

“I assume they'll do the same dance number as last year with only slight changes, in the absence of a more creative concept?”

“Uhm... of course I can't reveal any details about their performance, but every day I marvel at your massive brain, Jinyoung.”

“Thank you for the hint.” This earns Jaehyun a wide grin from Jinyoung. So now he has his assumptions confirmed. It's true that Minnie and her minions aren't bad at dancing, but by now even the most ignorant students of this school must have noticed that they are doing the same thing every freaking year. And since he knows how quickly people of his age are getting bored, Jinyoung hopes that this will increase the chances for his kids.

“If you tell anyone, I have to kill you. I think that's obvious,” he quips.

“Of course, it goes without saying.”

“Hmmmm, hey Jinyoung, what do you think about eating lunch together next Friday?”

“Uhm... I'm sorry but I don't eat with those single-celled organisms which you call your friends. Also I think they wouldn't appreciate my company either.”

“Like I would actually be crazy enough to make you sit down together with them. No, I mean just the two of us. What do you say?”

“Oh...” This comes as a surprise to Jinyoung.

Jaehyun obviously is aware of his amazement and quickly adds, “You see, I think we should talk more... and hang out more in general. It's a shame that we have so few opportunities to chat since we finished our project.”

“I think absolutely the same,” Jinyoung agrees and his surprise is quickly replaced by excitement. “That's great. I would like that. Though I can assure you that your friends won't be happy if they see us eating together. Wait, we eat in the cafeteria, right? We don't have to hide in the basement, _right_?”

“Jinyoung!” Jaehyun laughs and looks like a model in a toothpaste commercial. “Of course we won't hide. We aren't criminals. We just eat together.”

“But your friends-”

“Are _my_ problem. Don't worry about it.”

“Okay, then we have a d-... an appointment.”

“Yes, we have a date,” he teases before he pushes himself off the lockers. “Have a good day, Jinyoung.”

“Thanks, same to you, school prince!”

“Oh god, stop calling me this,” he fake-whines.

“I know how much you actually like it, liar. And now go!” Jinyoung only hears him laugh as he walks off.

“You talked to Jaehyun?” Jinyoung turns around to see Mark approaching him.

“Oh yes, that was him.” In fact, Mark and Jaehyun see each other in class but as far as Jinyoung knows they didn't talk with each other yet. In general Mark barely talks to anyone who isn't part of the talent show crew.

“You look happy.”

“We had a fun talk. And we will actually eat lunch together next Friday.”

“You said you don't have a crush on him.”

“Huh? I don't. What does this have to do with eating lunch?”

“Then why are you so happy?” the fairy asks and tilts his head to the side.

“Because we finally will become closer and maybe even close enough to be real friends. I want to get out of this weird acquaintance-limbo with him.”

“Oki, I guess that's good then. Tell me when you develop a crush on him.”

“Why?”

“Why do you have so many questions? Just do it.”

“Okay mom! Even though it's _obviously_ not me who has the many questions,” Jinyoung laughs. “But it won't happen. This guy is straight as fuck and he's also not my type.”

“ _Straight_?”

“It means that he only likes girls.”

“Hmmm, you sure about the being straight part?”

“At least I don't have any evidence that points in another direction,” Jinyoung says with a shrug of his shoulders.

“And he's not your type because?”

“His friends are beating up mine and he doesn't interfere. That's not very sexy.”

“But sexy enough to become his friend?”

“That's different somehow. I have the slight hope that I can convince him to stop his bully friends, after we became closer. But no matter what, the fact that he wouldn't condemn such behavior in the first place, makes him very unattractive for being my partner in a relationship. It's clearly a case of irreconcilable differences.”

“Hmmm, weird logic, but okay. I hope everything works out like you imagine it.”

“I hope so, too. Just think about it! Imagine I could take him home one day and we could hang out. My parents would actually witness me having another friend. They would finally stop worrying about me being a weird loner or whatever it is that goes through their heads while they look at me with all this pity plastered across their faces.”

“Your reasoning is unique for sure,” Mark utters, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“No wait, of course I want to hang out with Jaehyun after school because I genuinely like him. This thing with my parents would just be a nice side effect.”

“No need to defend yourself, cute baby.”

“I'm not,” Jinyoung mumbles through his pout. “I just say it as it is. Whatever! Are the kids alright?”

“Yeah, they are doing fine.”

“Great. Thank you. It's such a good idea to check on them once in a while during the breaks.”

“After what almost happened to Youngjae last time, I'm seriously concerned. I wish we could give them little wristbands with panic buttons attached, or something.”

“This is so very cute of you,” Jinyoung giggles. “To have your own fairy guard is truly a luxury which nobody could put a price on.”

“As long as I can, I want to keep them safe. Same goes for you.”

“Ugh... I'm getting sentimental now. I swear, if you make me cry like a little kid in school, you get in trouble with me,” Jinyoung murmurs.

“You see me trembling with fear, scary baby.”

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Do you see if there's still chocolate pudding left? Do you? Do you? There are too many people in front of us. I can't even see the lunch counter.”

Mark nervously lifts himself up on his tiptoes again and again in the hope to catch a glimpse of his dearly beloved dessert while they stand in the long queue at lunchtime.

“Just calm down. Nobody loves this weird pudding as much as you do. I'm sure there's enough left when it's our turn,” Jinyoung tries to convince him. Though he thinks it's cute how the fairy boy is so jittery just for this lame cafeteria pudding.

“Hey guys!”

“Sowonnie, you were fast,” Jinyoung marvels when he examines her tray, loaded with food.

“Naturally! You can't just go, getting lunch without a good strategy.”

“Why don't _we_ have a good strategy?” Mark asks, looking at Jinyoung reproachfully. The latter just shrugs his shoulders. Mark rolls his eyes before examining Sowon's tray attentively. “You don't have pudding! Is it sold out already?”

“Nah, I don't think this weird stuff is ever sold out.”

“But it's good,” Mark defends weakly.

“Oh wow, I can't believe you eat this gross pudding when a whole chocolate mousse exists.”

“What? Where? Here?” Mark screeches. Jinyoung watches amused how the fairy's excitement level peaks within seconds.

“Of course one has to be on good terms with the lunch folks here to get the good stuff.” Sowon flashes Mark a smug smile and wiggles her eyebrows.

“And you have those kind of connections?” Mark blurts out.

“You bet!”

“Oh my god! Can you-”

“Of course I can. How many?”

“Uhm.... three?”

“No problem! I better get a whole tray.”

“Oh wow, you're like a Messiah of desserts. Come on, this screams for teamwork. I take your tray to the table and you get the smuggled goods.”

“Deal!” After pushing the tray into Mark's hands, the tall girl disappears into the bustling crowd.

“Are you happy now?” Jinyoung asks the smiling boy. As soon as it is about sweets, it's Mark who turns into a baby and Jinyoung won't let himself be convinced otherwise.

“Very much. I'm going to our table and wait there for you.”

“Alright.” Jinyoung watches Mark squeezing himself through the masses, careful not to drop the tray. Now that Jinyoung pays proper attention, he surely notices that several pairs of eyes follow Mark. Despite not being in his fairy form, he still attracts attention, even though that never was his plan and he probably isn't even aware of it.

After Jinyoung finally got his own lunch, he walks over to their usual table. Yugyeom, Youngjae, Jangmi and BamBam already joined Mark there. A fond smile slips onto his lips upon beholding the scene. The kids now feel safe enough to eat their lunch in the cafeteria, knowing that they mostly can spend their time peacefully as long as Jinyoung and Mark are with them.

When Sowon returns with the promised tray full of chocolate dessert, everyone's eyes grow wide upon seeing the premium sweets. Seems like not many people have knowledge of the existence of the dessert option at all.

“Sowon, queen of the desserts, savior of a land full of lousy pudding, thank you!” Mark jumps to his feet to hug the girl as soon as she put the tray in the center of the table. She is surprised at first but then laughs heartily at his big reaction.

“How do you get your hands on those?” BamBam asks before he tries the chocolate mousse for the first time, completely neglecting his actual meal.

“A friend of my parents works here. He was confused already because he never saw me around the cafeteria but now, after I started to eat here, he began to put those extra tasty desserts aside for me.”

“Woah, so lucky!” Yugyeom marvels. He is currently wolfing down his food to get quickly to the best part of lunch.

“Are you saying you can get those _every_ day?” Mark asks the girl. Sowon nods her head, showing a satisfied smile. Everybody starts to cheer. Jinyoung beholds them with a smile on his face. To see all of them being so happy in school is something that seemed impossible only a couple of weeks ago.

The high-spirited atmosphere is interrupted when somebody else sets his tray down on their table. “Hello. Enjoy your meal!” Jaebeom says as he takes an empty seat between BamBam and Jangmi, acting like this would be a completely normal thing to do. But he's proven wrong because everybody looks at him like SpongeBob suddenly made an appearance at their table.

“What are you doing here?” Jinyoung asks bluntly.

“Eating lunch?”

“At _our_ table?”

“I didn't know I have to apply for permission beforehand.”

“Are your friends sick?”

“No, they are right over there.” Jaebeom points to his usual lunch table and indeed, everyone who is supposed to be there sits at that table, except Jaebeom. “Listen, I just crave for a little change and it seemed like you guys are having fun here, so.....” He looks more uncertain now. His initial confidence flew out of the window when everyone continued to stare at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

“Welcome to our table then. Glad to have you here with us.” It's Mark who surprises everyone with his sudden warm words of welcome and an honest smile. But Jinyoung realizes that he's right. He as well shouldn't ask Jaebeom so many questions and instead just be happy about him approaching them.

“Yeah, welcome, Jaebeom. Enjoy your meal,” Jinyoung adds and smiles at him. Jaebeom's shoulders noticeably relax now.

“It'f totally freaky that you eat with uf but it'f cool,” Youngjae laughs, already loud and happy again only after the short break of confusion. The other kids support his statement.

Sowon grabs a dessert from the tray and slides it over to Jaebeom. “Here, for you.” Jinyoung knows it's usually difficult for her to deal with new people, since she tends to be a bit harsh at first, but he can sense how much she tries to not scare him away.

“Thank you,” Jaebeom replies, smiling. The uneasiness now seems to evaporate completely.

Jinyoung glances to his left, noticing that Mark is already looking at him. They exchange small, silent smiles with each other, which goes unnoticed by the others who are still very excited about the addition to their table.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“What the heck is PE and why did we never had this class before?” was Mark's justified question.

Jinyoung explained to him what PE is all about and that their teacher was sick for the past couple of weeks. PE was canceled for the time being but now that their teacher returned, the class is part of the lesson plan again.

It turns out that Mark is enjoying it much more than he does enjoy math or biology. Jinyoung can see how much fun it is for the fairy to playfully move around. Turns also out that they are a good team. As excellent scoring duo they prove perfect football compatibility. Together they score several goals for their team and are celebrated like heroes. Not even Dumb, Dense and Stupid can stop their victory. Jinyoung knows that the jocks would probably have wiped the floor with them if it would have been basketball, but from this day on, football is a Mark and Jinyoung thing.

“That was so much fun,” Mark gasps as their teacher beckons them to return to the locker rooms after the class is over.

“Finally something in school is fun for you,” Jinyoung teases but Mark only shrugs.

“Perhaps the other subjects could be fun as well, if the teachers would manage to impart knowledge without lulling their students to sleep.”

“I'm sure they would love to hear your opinion on it,” Jinyoung laughs.

“No, thank you. I want to fly as much under the radar as possible.”

“Try that as long as you can. For now let's hit the showers.”

“The what?”

“Showers. We go.... taking a shower?” Mark's whole face screams confusion but they are surrounded by classmates so Jinyoung doesn't want to start a big explanation here. It can only lead to great awkwardness if somebody would overhear their conversation. “Just do what everyone else does,” Jinyoung advises.

The surge of students sweeps them into the locker rooms and Jinyoung unfortunately loses sight of Mark. He just hopes the fairy boy will be doing good on his own. So Jinyoung quickly undresses and, armed with his bath towel, slips into a shower cubicle.

He likes PE but sweating is simply gross. Its such a nice feeling to wash it all off and emerge from it all clean and fresh. He stands under the spray and slowly drags his hands through his hair as the water pours over him, when he suddenly hears a “Jinyoung?” from somewhere. He opens his eyes at that. It was Mark's voice calling his name. But why? What is going on?

“Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung steps away from the pleasant hot water and cautiously peeks out from behind the shower curtain. Mark wanders along the row of cubicles, looking absolutely lost. He is naked except for the obligatory white bath towel which hangs low on his hips. Jinyoung swallows as he admires the view. Who allowed the fairy boy to look so stunning under all this glitter and human clothes? Perfect, unblemished skin, muscled arms, strong shoulders, a perfect chest and the flat stomach with a slight definition in the abs section make Jinyoung swoon. But another call of his name snaps him out of his trance.

“Psst! What is it?” He whisper-yells.

Mark spots him and with a relieved smile he scurries towards his shower cubicle.

“Jinyoung, I did what everyone else did but then everyone disappeared into these boxes and I have no idea what to do in there.”

“Psst, not so loud!” Jinyoung scolds while he's still hiding his whole body behind the shower curtain. Sneakily he glances to his left and to his right, but everyone still seems to be occupied in the shower cubicles. “What do you mean? We shower. We clean our bodies with water.”

“What for?” Mark asks and tilts his head to the side, looking too adorable to match his attractive bare upper body.

“Wash off the sweat and dirt?” Jinyoung suggests incredulously.

“Fairies don't get dirty and we don't sweat either.”

“Psst. Don't talk about the F word! What if somebody hears you?”

“I was just informing you about something.”

“Unbelievable, you know the 'My Little Pony' characters but have no idea how to use a shower. Tsk!” Jinyoung can't take this anymore. He can't talk with Mark about the concept of cleaning in different worlds in the middle of the shower room, surrounded by so many unaware humans. “Just go and take a shower, okay?”

“I don't even know what to do.”

The nervousness gets to Jinyoung. They look too suspicious just standing there, holding a conversation with not nearly enough clothes on their bodies, only separated by a piece of shower curtain. And to top it all off, Jinyoung sees how somebody down the aisle emerges from the cubicle. He panics. A moment of insanity renders his brain inoperative. Without further thinking he pulls Mark inside his shower cubicle and yanks the curtain close.

And now they stand together in the small shower stall, way too close and eye to eye. The spray of water patters blithely. There's only the gleeful, hot steam separating them now. An unnerving tension dances between their bodies. Why are the water splashes suddenly burning holes into Jinyoung's skin? Or is this what Mark's gaze does to him? This is not okay. How did they end up like this?

Mark's doe eyes are searching Jinyoung's. And because Jinyoung is still in panic and doesn't know what to do, his gaze drops away from Mark's intense eyes. Instead it rests on his beautiful shaped lips now. But that's not good either and doesn't ease his panic at all. They look so pink and delicious. Jinyoung swallows again. The question of how they might taste almost overwhelms him. A naughty, glistening drop of water nestles in his Cupid's bow. The idea of leaning in and licking it off rushes into his mind. Only at the last moment he can stop himself as he remembers that Mark was observing his eyes, which means he probably noticed that Jinyoung is now staring at his lips. So with all his willpower Jinyoung drags his eyes back up.

Mark is still looking at him with the same intensity, maybe harboring a hint more curiosity in his glinting eyes now. The water droplets trickle down his face, making him look like a mysterious and dazzling water nymph.

“So what now?” the fairy boy asks. His voice echoes softly in Jinyoung's ears, but it sounds deeper than usual. The sound triggers a tingling sensation under Jinyoung's skin. A shudder travels down his spine, making his whole body tremble discretely. And now he also remembers a very important detail. He's currently facing Mark, being completely naked.

“Most important rule: Don't look down!”

“Why not?”

“Most humans are a bit shy about being naked in front of others,” Jinyoung explains feebly.

“But I'm not a human,” Mark plainly states, maintaining eye contact while he slightly tilts his head to the side once again. In the next moment Jinyoung hears a noise which only can be Mark's soaked towel dropping on the floor, making a sloshing sound.

Awesome, now they're both naked. Jinyoung tries to swallow down the lump in his throat for what feels like the hundredth time now. His heart is racing in his chest like the wings of a hummingbird. The sexual tension between them goes sky high. Or maybe Jinyoung is imagining it. Fairies probably don't even know what sexual tension is. He's an idiot, he realizes. He had the vague idea of mutual attraction flashing through his head, but he's all alone in this panic attack while Mark probably wonders why he's acting so weird. So Jinyoung tries to hide the fact that he's on the verge of fainting and attempts to solve this situation somehow.

“But _I am_ , so don't look down! I'm gonna teach you how humans shower. It's not difficult. Half the work is already done,” he tries to explain calmly. But that calmness only exists on the outside. Inwardly his mind is running in wild circles, screaming the theme song of 'My Little Pony', just to block the thought of this very attractive boy standing in front of him in his very wet and very naked state. “Let me introduce shower gel to you.”

Jinyoung turns around to pick up the bottle of shower gel from the floor of the cubicle. When he's back at eye level, Mark is smiling at him. “Your butt looks more than fine. Why would you feel shy about it?”

“I said don't look down!” Jinyoung hisses and scowl-pouts at the amused fairy boy.

“Okay okay, I won't anymore. But still, it's a compliment, okay?”

“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbles and blindly reaches for Mark's hand. He pulls his arm up and turns his palm upwards between their chests.

“Oh.... so touching is allowed despite being naked and shy?”

“No, absolutely not!”

“But you just did.”

“That's not a risky body part so it's kind of okay.”

“Not risky? I don't understand that. I want to touch your butt then.”

“No! You can't! That's absolutely a risky body part!”

“Ugh... you're mean,” Mark mutters, pouting. His pink, pouty lips with water drops sliding over them, Jinyoung tries to not stare at them for too long. He's only semi-successful.

He hurries to squeeze the soapy substance into his palm. “This is shower gel. Rub that all over your body.”

“Oh, it smells nice.”

“That's the point.”

“Okay, I understand. Uhm.... can I look down at myself?”

“Usually yes, but now the risk is too high that your eyes would wander to places they have no permission to look at.”

“Like your butt?”

“That as well, yes.”

“Then I will continue to look into your eyes. They are also well worth seeing.”

Can this partly sneaky and partly unaware fairy stop flirting with him in a reckless situation like this? Damn, why is he now sweating more than in PE? Mark's doe eyes are so pretty, Jinyoung feels himself being pulled into their sparkling darkness. His gaze is so strong and captivating, it only adds to Jinyoung's ongoing panic.

Mark touching his naked wet body everywhere, and Jinyoung also touching his naked wet body everywhere while staring into each others' eyes is astoundingly erotic. The notion of Mark's palm sliding across his toned chest and stomach, and even lower, excites Jinyoung too much.

“I used to wonder what friendship could be. La la! Until you all shared its magic with me,” Jinyoung whisper-screams to make his head shut up.

“Oh, that's the 'My Little Pony' theme song. Great piece of music,” Mark cheers, seemingly without a worry in the world.

Jinyoung stops panic singing and sighs. Again he feels like an idiot. He is losing it here all by himself, while Mark only learns the wonders of cleaning a human body. Nevertheless it does things to Jinyoung's teenage self. He never was so close to another naked boy and the fact that Mark is also very attractive doesn't help him to calm down in the least.

Despite being busy with his inner struggle, he catches Mark's gaze slipping downwards, examining Jinyoung's chest now.

“Hey, hey hey, my eyes are up here!”

“Yes, okay sorry,” the fairy boy mumbles while his eyes slowly wander back up until they stare into Jinyoung's again. “So I think I'm done now with the slippery stuff.”

“Okay, come forward a little so you can properly rinse it off under the water.”

Jinyoung wanted Mark to step completely under the jet of water and therefore planned to take a step back, but Mark is faster. Suddenly their entire fronts are touching. Jinyoung takes a sharp breath as heat pours down on him. All alarm bells go off in his head. He quickly stumbles backwards but he can't get a foothold on the wet floor and slips. He braces himself for a very uncomfortable landing, but at the last possible moment two strong hands grip his upper arms to steady him. He slowly opens his eyes to look into Mark's worried face.

“S-sorry.... I... I was surprised,” Jinyoung stammers.

“No problem. Are you okay?” Mark looks at him intently as he helps him to stand safely on his own two feet again. The intense gaze and the lingering feeling of Mark's bare skin against him almost makes him breathless. His head spins. The little rebel in his chest is currently freaking out along with him. Never before was his heart attack risk this high.

“Y-Yeah, I'm o-o-okay.”

“I'm relieved,” Mark whispers. The fairy's head drops onto his chest as some tension from the sudden adrenaline rush seems to leave his body. Jinyoung is still very busy with comprehending what just happened, but slowly he regains his composure. And only now he realizes that Mark's head didn't come back up. So he quickly dips his own head and spots Mark's eyes staring directly at a region where he wasn't supposed to stare at all. In a quick motion he tries to hide his crotch behind his palms.

“That's unfair! We had a deal!”

“Ugh... sorry. I swear I didn't do it on purpose. I was just so relieved that you were okay and when I opened my eyes the next time the view was..... just _there..._ and I couldn't look away. _..._ and...uhm... yeah.”

Jinyoung's sense of justice combined with his teenage curiosity are triggered and responsible for his next words. “No, it has to be fair!” He puts his whole palm against Mark's face to prevent him from peeking down again. “I will look at you, too.”

“Feel free,” Mark murmurs into Jinyoung's palm. There is not even a hint of worry or shyness detectable in his voice.

So after he even has Mark's permission, his eyes go on a journey of discovery. First he takes a good long look at his nice chest from up close. Drops of water teasingly slide down his body. He feels slightly pathetic, but he has to admit that he's jealous of them. He would love to touch his chest and flat stomach. Again, the urge to attach his lips to Mark's body is barely manageable.

Jinyoung's gaze follows the droplets as they run down the fairy's lower abdomen. And when he finally catches sight of the most exciting part of Mark's body, Jinyoung almost faints once again. Suddenly he wishes he wouldn't have done it. What he sees is very pleasant, but his teenage body can't handle the thrill very well. A surge of hot arousal rushes through him. There is also this too familiar fluttery feeling in his lower abdomen. And even without looking down at himself, he knows that something down south is getting hard and it's absolutely the wrong time for it. Before something even more embarrassing happens, he looks back up and gives Mark's face space again.

“Don't look down again, okay? Don't! Look! Down! Whatever! Happens!”

“Whatever you say,” Mark answers, smiling at him, sweetly. “So when do you know that you're clean and done with showering?”

“It's just a feeling. And normally I'd say we're done but let's wait some extra minutes until the others are gone. Otherwise it looks very suspicious when we would exit the shower cubicle together.”

“Fine with me. I think I like taking showers with you.”

“Don't say it this way,” Jinyoung squeaks. “It's not the norm to shower together.”

“I don't give much about the norm though,” the fairy mumbles lightheartedly. “So how is my body, considering human standards?”

Jinyoung gasps a couple of times. Did the steam mess with the fairy's brain? “Are you out of your mind? Don't ask me something like that!”

“Why not? I'm just curious if this is attractive to humans.”

The image of Mark's body flashes through his mind and some very nice close ups linger in his thoughts. He doesn't know anymore if this is water or simply buckets of sweat which are running down his body. “Yes,” Jinyoung murmurs, glancing at the ceiling because he can't handle to look into those curious, sparkly eyes anymore. “This kind of body is very well liked among humans.”

“And does it suit your personal taste as well?”

This is too much. Jinyoung covers his own eyes with his hand and crouches down. He grabs the dripping wet towel from the floor of the cubicle and shoves it against Mark's chest. “Enough now! Get out of here and I follow two minutes later.”

“Are you su-”

“Yes!”

“But just now you said we should wai-”

“Now, Mark!”

“Oki, as you wish.” So the fairy puts the now soaked towel back around his waist and exits the cubicle.

After Jinyoung swiftly closes the shower curtain he slumps against the tiled wall and takes some deep breaths. Unbelievable that all this just happened. Mark saw him naked. He saw Mark naked. They showered together! Mark asked him if his body is his taste!! If somebody would have told him this morning what the day has in stock for him, Jinyoung would have laughed a slightly incredulous and crazy laugh right in that somebody's face.

( ﾟдﾟ)

They didn't really talk after they got out of the locker room, fully dressed. The time they spent waiting in the lunch line was pretty silent. But Jinyoung noticed the way Mark kept stealing glances at him. Did he become shy after all? Or is this just the confusion that was caused by being kicked out of the shower cubicle? Jinyoung has no idea, but it starts to get awkward.

When they sit at the table, still without any of the kids present, Mark finally speaks.

“So you really solely like guys, right?”

Jinyoung almost chokes on his mashed potatoes. “W-What?”

“I mean I was aware that you like guys, but now I know how much.”

“W-What the heck do you mean?”

“The way you were so shy about me seeing your body, and also how you spent minutes staring at mine, that was very cute,” Mark explains matter-of-factly. “You love guys _this_ much.” Jinyoung only gapes at him, not coming up with a sensible statement at all. “I have humans all figured out.” Mark winks at him and taps his index finger against his temple.

Now the words are coming back to Jinyoung. “Says someone who didn't even figure out how to shower. Sure,” he snorts and hopes that he can distract Mark from the initial topic.

“These are two completely different things.”

“Yes, I agree. One concerns the complex structures of human emotions and the mysterious way of how differently attraction works for every being, and the other one concerns a daily routine. Just a hint: showering isn't all that complex.”

“But I still figured you out, right?”

“JINYOUNG! MARK!” It's Jangmi who storms towards their table, looking absolutely frantic. She comes to a stop in front of them, gasping for air.

“Jangmi, what's up? Are you okay?” Jinyoung urges as he jumps to his feet to check on her.

“It's Sowon! Minnie and the others are attacking her behind the gym!”

In an instant both boys dash off and neglect their lunch to run through the bustling school corridors. In lightning speed they reach the exit and sprint across the school yard. From afar they already hear Sowon's voice, little cries of pain are mixed with fierce insults. They also hear the sound of jeering comments and snicker by several other female voices.

Jinyoung's heart jumps up into his throat at the thought of what they might do to her. He knows that she can usually hold her ground fairly well against one or two of these hyenas. So when Jangmi comes to ask for help, it means Sowon is in serious trouble.

When they turn around the last corner, the situation is opening up before them. Sowon is on the ground, held down by three girls, two pinning down her arms while Jaebeom's twin sister sits on her legs. Several others of the minions are surrounding them. And Minnie is leaning over her, tugging at a thick strand of Sowon's long black hair and holding a large pair of scissors threateningly in her other hand.

“You think you're pretty?” Minnie sneers. “Let me inform you that you are not! You're ugly. You're a klutz! A monstrosity! Nobody wants you! So stop throwing yourself at Mark!”

“What are you even talking about, dumb bitch?” Sowon barks back while in pain.

“You want to deny it? I have eyes. I see what you're doing. You're a disgrace, so stop embarrassing yourself _and_ him! Mark only hangs out with you because he takes pity on you and all of your freak friends.”

“No! He's our friend! Of course you don't know what a true friend would be like.”

“Shut up, you disgusting monster!” Minnie screeches. “You're dumber than I thought if you actually think he would bother with you because he actually likes you. How braindead can anybody be?”

Instead of giving her an answer, Sowon just spits at her which makes Minnie even more angry. She pulls her hair more forcefully which elicits a scream of pain from her. “If you don't want to listen, find out the hard way!”

Minnie brings the pair of scissors dangerously close to her hair. Sowon struggles under the other girls but isn't in any position to free herself. So Jinyoung and Mark arrive at just the right moment when they burst into the group of girls.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Jinyoung yells at Minnie. He pries the pair of scissors away from her and nudges her backwards to create some distance between the bully and Sowon. The onlookers are so shocked by the interruption that they scatter to the four winds right away.

“This is none of your business, Park!” Hwayoung shrieks at Jinyoung, after Mark shooed her and the other two girls away from Sowon.

“She's my friend and you are hurting her. So now what about it is not my business, you beast!” She's only huffing at him like a peeved child. Jinyoung is outraged and can barely stop himself from going off on her. When he looks back to Minnie he sees her being glued to the spot with big, horrified eyes. It dawns on him that she's currently watching her crush helping up the girl which she was bullying just moments ago.

“You okay, Sowon?” the fairy boy asks. She wordlessly nods her head, but Jinyoung sees her trembling hands and legs and therefore knows that nothing is okay. Mark looks up and meets Minnie's terrified eyes. Immediately a scowl twists the fairy's handsome face. And only a moment later the girl turns around and runs off without another word.

“MINNIE! HEY MINNIE!” Hwayoung pleads before she glares at Jinyoung one last time. Then Jaebeom's sister runs after Minnie, followed by the other two minions.

“Karma, bitch!” Jinyoung whispers, before he turns around and swiftly joins his friends. Mark is supporting Sowon while her knees are still shaking. Jinyoung quickly takes over for the fairy boy. “Sowonnie, I'm so sorry these bitches put you through this,” Jinyoung says in his softest voice. “You were scared, right?”

She vehemently shakes her head no, but the thick tears which are suddenly sliding down her cheeks betray her. “Oh Sowonnie, it's alright. Sh sh sh! It's safe now.” Jinyoung wraps his arms around her and she collapses into him, silently crying against his shoulder. Mark watches them with compassionate eyes. Jinyoung offers him a smile, though a slightly sad one.

They stay like this for a couple minutes until the girl calmed down. A little downtime, away from all the loud students and curious gazes, is well deserved. They sit down on a patch of grass to spend the rest of their lunch break in peace.

“Thank you, guys. I wouldn't have known what to do. They were just too many.”

“No problem, Sowonnie.”

“I'm afraid this was my fault.” Mark meekly admits.

“How is it your fault when this girl is so crazy and wants to sweep everyone out of the way who could be a potential love rival? She is the one with the problem here,” Sowon huffs.

“Wait, does that mean you have a crush on Mark?” Jinyoung squeaks.

The girl facepalms herself and heaves a deep sigh. “First of all, I said _potential_ love rival for a reason. And second, he sits right here, Jinyoung. As if I would admit having a crush on him when he's _right here!_ Learn to have some tact and try to make some sense!” the girl nags.

“Does that mean you would admit your crush on him, if Mark wouldn't be present?”

“No, Jinyoung, didn't you listen?” Jinyoung realizes she slowly loses her patience, and that's never good for anyone. But he still wants to have a a clear statement on this issue.

“She said that she doesn't like me this way but if she did, she wouldn't admit it in such a situation, and you're a little dummy for asking about it in such an upfront way,” Mark explains.

“Thank you, Mark. I'm glad somebody is listening instead of making assumptions based on single words.” They shake hands like best buddies and Jinyoung's jaw drops upon seeing that.

“I just wanted to make sure, okay?” he huffs. “So now that her crush saw what a terrible bully she is, do you think Minnie will try to become a better person?”

“I don't know about that,” Sowon ponders aloud. “Maybe, but whatever happens, I hope she'll keep a low profile in the near future.”

“It would mean one severe problem less to worry about.”

“I guess time will tell,” Mark sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like this story so far? Fairy yay, or fairy nay? :)


	7. 1.7

Mark only went to check on the kids between classes and Jinyoung already misses him. This development surprises him, even though it shouldn't. These days they basically spend every waking moment with each other so of course it feels weird when Mark is not around.

Jinyoung always saw himself as someone who values solitude quite much, so it astounds him even more that he doesn't miss it at all. Spending time with Mark just feels so much better than spending it alone. It's fun and never boring. Even the quiet moments they share, he never considers them as boring. It always feels like time spend with Mark is filled with a rich, satisfying happiness. He also would describe it as comfortable, if it wasn't for this prickly sexual tension which keeps building up between them.

What started out as a tiny little spark when they couldn't tear their eyes away from each other, evolved into a whole thunderstorm. The almost kiss in the bathroom already was a warning signal which Jinyoung shouldn't have dismissed and moved on from so easily. He should have started thinking about their whole relationship back then. He should have drawn lines. But instead he bravely marched on into every tricky situation with his head held high and his arms wide open. He even craved for physical closeness. He took ever chance he got to be near Mark, to casually touch him, to enjoy all the soothing calmness he radiates. And then the shower incident happened.

Ever since, he can't stop his thoughts from going in a naughty direction every time he lies in bed alone. When he closes his eyes and his hand slowly slides down his body in the darkness, the memories are always there. The images of Mark's dripping wet body, his taut muscles, his memorable private parts, everything is engraved in his mind. Even his dreams are filled with dancing, hot steam, water dripping from dark hair tips in front of observant doe eyes and low whispers of his name. The nights are wild but at least nobody is there to witness. When his thoughts accidentally stray to those memories in the middle of the day, his head starts spinning in an instant. Just what did this sneaky fairy boy do to him?

And another interesting question: What is he feeling for Mark? A question which keeps popping into his mind these days. He remembers how he swore to himself not too long ago that he never would fall in love with him. Falling in love with a magical being, this sounds like emotional suicide, he thought. But the more time he spends with Mark, the more sides he sees of him, the harder it becomes to deny the thrilling attraction, physically and emotionally, which he feels towards the fairy boy.

But another eternal question always follows whenever he tries to get to the bottom of his own emotions: What is Mark thinking about it? The fairy's thoughts are just too untransparent. Jinyoung never knows if he is just very sly or very oblivious. The feeling of running through a maze bristled with Mark's mixed signals is something which accompanies Jinyoung through every day now. Though he is sure that Mark keeps stealing glances at him, and he's under the impression that the fairy does it even more often since the shower incident. Jinyoung simply has no idea what this means in a fairy mind. It all becomes slightly frustrating, but that doesn't mean he is enjoying his time with Mark any less. If anything, it makes him just more attentive to every action of the fairy boy.

But all his ponderings become secondary when someone roughly grips the back of his collar to drag him into another school corridor. He can't see his attacker. The surprise is huge so Jinyoung focuses on his breathing and tries not to stumble for now. Only when they reach a deserted part of the outside area through a side exit, his abductor sets him free as he ungently shoves Jinyoung forward. The latter trips and crashes to the ground. Luckily Jinyoung has a certain degree of experience so he can break his fall pretty well before his head hits the concrete. He quickly turns over and spots a fuming Dumb having planted himself in front of him.

Now Jinyoung relaxes a little. He has no idea why he looks so mad but at least it's just one of those bullies, instead of the whole parade of idiocy. Though he's slightly puzzled about the direct attack, since he's sure that Jaehyun's protection rule is still valid. Jinyoung stands up and dusts off his clothes as if he has all the time in the world. Then he calmly asks, “How may I help you?”

“Park, you wanted it like this!” the boy spits, aggressiveness dripping from his every word.

“What did I want? Having a one-on-one chat with you? I need to disappoint you. That's one of the very least things I want.”

“Damn shut up, loser! I didn't ask you from your opinion!”

“It's ' _for_ your opinion' actually.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” the boy yells and takes a step towards him, hands curled into trembling fists at his sides. “Listen, I don't know what's up with you and Jaehyun, but from now on you stay away!”

“This is about Jaehyun?” Now this is getting interesting. Never did Jinyoung expect to be surprised by one of those brainless jerks like he is surprised at this moment.

“You're always creeping around near him. You have no right to do that. He's too good for you, loser!”

“But... I'm just talking with him. We're friends.”

“No, you are not! You're just batting your eyelashes at him and he does whatever you want an-”

“This is ridiculous,” Jinyoung scoffs.

“I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP! I don't want to hear anything from you. Stop bothering Jaehyun, you little hoe, or you will regret it.”

“Why is this so important to you?” Jinyoung asks and tilts his head to the side.

“Do I look like I want to answer your dumb questions?”

“Basically you look like you can't even answer a single question but-... oh... oh wait, fuck..... you have a crush on Jaehyun, don't you?” The thought hit him like a brick. That's the reason why he came alone this time to threaten Jinyoung. Dense and Stupid don't know about it, and probably Jaehyun doesn't either.

“SHUT UP I SAID!” The guy is seething with anger now. He takes another step towards Jinyoung. The latter realizes that now is the time to stop answering him with his usual teasing twist of nonchalance.

“I never expected that you like guy-”

“FUCK OFF!”

“Wait! I'm not making fun of you. I'm just really surprised. Does Jaehyun know about your feelings?”

“That's it! Say goodbye to your life!”

The guy rushes up to Jinyoung. It's too late to run so Jinyoung prepares himself to parry his attack. But before the bully even reaches him, somebody jumps in from the side and violently pushes Dumb away. Now the jock greets the concrete.

For a millisecond the thought 'Mark' flared up in Jinyoung's mind. That is until his best friend turns around and gaspingly asks, “Jinyoung, are you okay?”

“Jaebeom? What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, Jaebeom, what are you doing here?” Dumb threateningly grunts after he got back on his feet. “Why are you defending this loser?”

“Because he's my best friend,” Jaebeom barks back.

“Huh? Since when?”

“Not that it's any of your business but since a very long time. And you better leave him alone.”

“You might not be ranked as low down the loser scale as Park, but you still can't give me orders. And to prove that I will give you also a nice beating now.”

“No, you won't,” Jaebeom retorts, but his voice isn't as confident anymore. Jinyoung can see the panic in his best friend's eyes. Yes, he thinks, it's just natural. Jaebeom isn't used to these situations. Jinyoung doubts he ever was threatened or part of a fist fight in his whole life.

“Because now it's two against one,” Jinyoung backs him up. “You really want to try that?”

“Make it three against one!” Jinyoung whirls around to see Mark approaching them. He can sense already that the fairy boy is furious. “This is how you usually confront your victims, right? Do you want to experience how it feels the other way around?” Mark growls.

“I don't have time to deal with you losers. Just scram! And Park, better keep your mouth shut and stay away!”

“Look who runs off now,” Jaebeom mumbles as the three of them watch the bully walk back inside the school building.

“What a pathetic bigmouth,” Mark grumbles.

“Guess he still remembers how you beat him and Dense up in the auditorium,” Jinyoung snickers.

“Hey, but maybe he was also intimidated by me?” Jaebeom butts in.

“Uhm yeah, maybe,” Jinyoung replies hesitantly.

“What is this supposed to mean? And why are you smiling like this? I came to help you!”

“Yeah, but I think I could have done this alone, since it was only one of them.”

“You can't be for real. I was helping you and I was ready to throw fists at him!” his best friend fusses.

“Yes, I know. Sorry, this didn't come out right. I just wanted to say that I don't need protection when I am capable to take on the opponent by myself. _But_ I really love that you came to help me, that you risked it all, that you were ready to get a fist and that you openly told him that I'm your best friend. I appreciate this a lot, Jaebeom. You have no idea how much.”

“Oh.... okay,” Jaebeom mumbles. He scratches the back of his neck, looking like a bashful kid. The fact that Mark gives him a slap on the back, a full-blown smile and a “Great move, Jaebeom. I knew you had it in you.” doesn't make his cheeks glow any less red. It's heart-warming to look at. Overall Jinyoung's heart feels pretty good right now. He didn't want to admit it openly, but he wished for a long time for his best friend to stand by his side without any restraint. He knows Jaebeom had reasons why he acted that way in the past, but now it feels like a load is taken from Jinyoung's mind. “You always are too brave for your own good. Somebody needs to help you before you're getting yourself killed,” Jaebeom murmurs, still pretty shy.

“What if Hwayoung gets wind of it and tells your parents?”

“Then it is how it is.” Jaebeom casually shrugs. His nonchalant statement earns him another slap on his back by the fairy boy, before he turns towards Jinyoung.

“Look what he did,” Mark sighs and crouches down in front of Jinyoung. He starts to dust off his pants, getting rid of the remains of dirt which Jinyoung failed to see earlier. But having Mark's hands all over his legs immediately throws Jinyoung into a state of chaos. The shower incident pops back into his mind. His teenage self is ready to freak out again in a matter of seconds.

“It's enough. It's alright,” he quickly mumbles and pulls Mark back up by his shoulders.

“You're supposed to call me when something happens. I would have come to help you,” the fairy boy pleads.

“Call?”

“Like whispering my name is enough.”

“And you would hear me?”

“Of course, if you call me, I'll be there.”

“Oh wow,” Jinyoung marvels.

“Just a minute ago you told me you wouldn't have needed any help, and now you're like _oh wow_. What the hell?” Jaebeom interrupts them with his little rant.

“That's different. Mark is magical.”

“Magical, pagical,” Jaebeom snorts.

“Very mature, Jaebeom,” Jinyoung chuckles and Mark chimes in.

“What did this stupid ass even want from you?” Mark suddenly questions.

“Oh, just bully things, you know?” Jinyoung thinks it isn't fair to reveal Dumb's secret to the world, even though he doesn't owe him anything.

“These guys get more brazen by the day,” Mark grumbles. “What's even up with the teachers? Why don't they take action when students are getting harassed?”

“Too much shit happened here already. To not fall for any untrue statements, they only take action when they saw what happened. But that's rarely the case. When they aren't present during the actual incident, it's just a he-said-she-said case and they won't do anything,” Jinyoung explains.

“School sucks everywhere,” Mark snorts as they go back inside. They are now officially too late for class.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“And then he just ran like a scared little kid but under the pretense of not having any time _to deal_ with us. Can you believe it?” Mark recounts the events of the day to Jackson. The latter hangs on Mark's every word, eyes huge and his mouth either hanging open or his lips formed to a little 'o' in amazement.

They made it a habit to tell Jackson what they all experienced throughout the day, every evening when the four of them would meet up in Jinyoung's room. Jackson is so curious and interested that it's a real joy to even tell him the small things of the day. Every human would fall asleep, but Jackson just keeps marveling.

“No way! What a joke. Somebody didn't want to have a taste of their own medicine,” Jackson replies.

“Exactly. And then Jaebeom claimed that the jerk scrammed because he was so intimidating,” Mark giggles and Jackson follows. Blue and purple glitter everywhere. Jinyoung can't stop watching this spectacle. He suppresses the urge to roll around on the carpet and shower in the precious sparkles.

“Hey!” Jaebeom objects and flings one of Jinyoung's pillows right at Mark from his place on the bed. The fairy boy stops laughing and rubs his nose while he glares back at Jaebeom. Unfortunately this also marks the end of the glitter explosions.

“What was that for?” Mark grumbles.

“Just stop to make fun of me and we don't have a problem.”

“I just tell how it was. No need to react so violently.”

“Why do you even make a fuss?” Jinyoung laughs as he sees Mark's dramatic reaction. “It was just a pillow and fairies can't even feel pain that much anyway, right?”

“Huh? What makes you think so? Of course we can,” Jackson butts in.

“Jackson!” Mark hisses.

“What? We're pretty similar to humans in that aspect.”

“What? But Mark said...” Jinyoung's voice trails off as he looks from Jackson to Mark and back. Mark now facepalms himself and Jinyoung catches on to the lie which the fairy told him.

“Oh, I feel like I said something I shouldn't have. Heh heh,” Jackson says before he bites his bottom lip. He glances at Mark, obviously unsure of his reaction.

“I feel the same,” Mark says listlessly.

“Why did you lie to me?” Jinyoung asks Mark.

Jaebeom struggles to stifle his giggles in the background while he splutters, “Look who's in trouble now!”

“No reasons?” the addressed fairy boy answers as vaguely as possible.

“Oh wait, I know now. You didn't want me to worry about you after you received those punches which were meant for Youngjae. So you claimed fairies don't feel pain that much,” Jinyoung slowly concludes.

“I stick to 'no reasons',” he mumbles a reply.

“Mark.... come on.”

“Oooh, Markie, you're so cute. My best friend is so cute!” Jackson cheers and gives Mark a side hug.

“I'm not. Go away.”

“That means he isn't even in trouble? Ugh, boring,” Jaebeom murmurs.

“You are! YOU ARE! Markie, you're so cute. A real gentlefairy, right Jinyoung?”

“Yeah, that was really a selfless deed,” Jinyoung says, softly smiling at the fairies. “Though I would have appreciated, if he didn't lie to me.”

“Sorry,” Mark keeps mumbling.

“So fairies can feel pain, just like humans. Interesting,” Jinyoung ponders aloud. “Wait, Jackson... what about the concept of cleaning?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Jackson, don't you have to go somewhere?” Mark tries to nudge Jackson to his feet but it doesn't work. Jackson looks rather clueless at his friend.

“I don't?”

Jinyoung notices easily the troubled expression on Mark's face and therefore knows that it's worth it to keep questioning Jackson. “Concept of cleaning, as in cleaning their bodies,” he persists and stops Mark's pathetic attempt to silence Jackson. “Do fairies know how to take a shower?”

“Oh that. We don't need to shower. We never smell bad or get dirty or anything.”

“Right?! That's true,” Mark agrees quickly. “Jackson, we still have this thing to-”

“But do you know how it works for humans?” Jinyoung interrupts another pathetic attempt.

“Of course! We have this subject in fairy school which is called 'human needs' where we learn all the basic knowledge about humans' routines.”

“Oh oh....”

“Mark Fairybutton, we need to talk,” Jinyoung nags sternly and crosses his arms in front of him.

“Whooohooo, and he's in trouble again!” Jaebeom cheers.

“Did I again say too much?” Jackson carefully asks while he glances at Mark who rubs his hands over his face.

“You never get hints, do you?”

“Uhm... there was a hint? When?”

“Mark? Anything you want to say?” Jinyoung keeps calling him out.

“Well, I really have this important fairy thing on right now. I have to go.”

“What fairy thing do you mean? There's nothing scheduled as far as I know,” Jackson ponders, looking as innocent as a meadow full of daisies.

“Why are you doing this to me, Jackson?” Mark now straight out whines.

“Do what?”

Mark facepalms himself again. “Why are you always here, Jackson? What are you even doing here all of the time?” Mark now questions, looking pretty tired.

“I just come here after I'm done with my wishes to spend time with my best friend. It's not my fault that you got a case where you never have free time anymore.”

Jinyoung's face falls very quickly upon hearing this. He never thought about how his wish would affect Mark and his daily routine. Not a single thought went in that direction and he suddenly feels very guilty about his lack of consideration. Mark's eyes flicker to Jinyoung in an instant. Tiredness turns into anger on the fairy's face.

“Jackson!”

“Oh.... I didn't mean it like that. You know, I think Mark enjoys it a lot to be here.” Jackson tries to safe the situation as soon as he perceived it, by assuring Jinyoung. “And I'm not really _that_ lonely without him. It's just that other fairies are annoying and sometimes mean, and he's my best and only friend, and I feel sad when he's not with me for so long.”

Jackson's large puppy eyes look so pitiful that Jinyoung's insides twist in sympathy. He can feel tears pricking his eyes. Never wanted he to take Mark away from his best friend.

But as soon as Mark sees Jinyoung's wet eyes, he starts to whine again, slightly shaking Jackson's shoulders. “Jackson! What is up with you? Why do you never shut up? It's like your mouth is broken. It keeps opening and opening without ever staying shut! Why?”

“Do you want a real answer to that?”

“No! The heck, I want you to shut up.”

“Okay, because otherwise I would have explained to you why it's essential to speak my mind and I need you as my best friend to always know what's going through my head because that's an important part of friendship,” the purple fairy boy states, beholding the devastated Mark with a warm smile.

“You didn't listen to me at all, did you?” Mark asks, seemingly with no energy left to nag more.

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind,” Mark mutters.

“I'm sorry, Jackson,” Jinyoung now butts in. He regained his composure after seeing that Jackson went from sad to happy in less than a second. “I didn't want to steal your best friend from you. That was never my intention. Of course you can drop by as much as you like to see Mark.”

“Oh don't worry, Jinyoung,” Jackson says with a bright smile. “I'm here every day anyway, so I don't think I can visit even more often.”

“Yeah,” Mark grumbles, “he's here every day anyway. No need to pity him.”

“As long as I can see you guys, I'm all good,” Jackson cheers and now hugs Mark again.

Seemingly unsatisfied with the latest developments, Jaebeom stands up from Jinyoung's bed to squeeze himself in between the fairy boys on the carpet, breaking off the hug in the process. “There was still a matter regarding lying about taking showers, if I remember correctly.”

Now it's Mark who attacks Jaebeom and punches his arm heftily. But that can't wipe the smug smile off his face while he leans his head on Jackson's shoulder.

“That's right,” Jinyoung agrees. “Mark, we need to talk _now_. Can you go out for a walk or something?” he addresses Jaebeom and Jackson.

“I don't have a human form. I can't walk around like that.”

“Then just do it like Mark.”

“Unbelievable, you want me to do in the blink of an eye what even a Graced One needed a whole day of preparation for? Impossible, Jinyoung. Also I doubt my powers would be sufficient to do that.”

“Oh... okay, then we go out for a walk. Mark! Human form. Now!”

“O-ki,” Mark huffs before he changes back.

In the beginning, Jinyoung always felt a small pang of regret when the fairy changed into his human form, since his fairy form is so pretty. But by now Jinyoung doesn't mind anymore. Human Mark is handsome as well and has his own charming points, he realized. And what's the most important is that in whatever form he is, he's still the same Mark inside. Though Jinyoung would appreciate it a lot more when this Mark wouldn't lie to him.

“We are going for a walk,” Jinyoung calls when they reach the bottom of the stairs.

“Is everything all right,” his mom asks, peeking into the hallway.

“Sure,” Jinyoung assures.

“The two of you never before went out after dinner,” Jinyoung's dad points out after he joined his wife at the kitchen door.

“So it's the premiere today. Exciting,” Jinyoung quips.

“Fine, then have fun on your walk and take care, boys,” his mom eventually says after beholding both of them with a long, scrutinizing look.

“Thanks,” Jinyoung murmurs.

But even before he shut the entrance door behind himself, he can hear his dad saying to his mom, “To me it looks like there's trouble in paradise.”

“WE HEARD THAT!” Jinyoung informs, slightly disgruntled.

“THEN THE TWO OF YOU BETTER FIX WHAT'S WRONG BEFORE COMING BACK,” his dad calls out and adds a little laugh.

Jinyoung pulls the door shut and walks a few meters away from the house, for reasons of safety, before he starts to speak.

“So, why did you lie to me?”

“We really start directly, just like this? No preparation?”

“Do you want a welcome drink or what?”

“No... no, of course not.”

“So Mark Fairybutton, talk! If Mark Fairybutton even is your real name. Oh wait, Jackson told us so it's probably the truth.”

“Jinyoung, come on. The fact that you trust Jackson more than me, who you spend the whole day with, is distressing.”

“You lied!” is Jinyoung's sole reproach which he utters with a pout.

“Right,.... you're right. But first please know that I'm sorry for lying to you. I just did it because I knew you probably wouldn't have explained it to me..... _so vividly_ otherwise.”

“What? To take a shower?”

“Yeah.”

“You're damn right, I wouldn't.”

“See? So it was necessary.”

“Mark!” Jinyoung now outright scowls at him.

Mark looks conscience-stricken regarding his evasive behavior. The fairy boy throws his head back and stares into the dark sky, exposing his beautiful neck, before he starts to talk, “I was curious, Jinyoung. Do you remember what Jackson once said? That he envies me for my chance to learn so much more about humans? I realized that he was right. This mission would be a great chance for every fairy to get to know more about humans at first hand. Of course I know that some aspects of their lives, humans don't like to share-”

“But you thought it's okay to disrespect that and simply sneak your way in?!”

“No, it's just.... I didn't expect that it would hurt somebody.”

“I'm more upset about the lie than anything else, to be honest. You could have just said 'Jinyoung, can you explain to me how humans take a shower?' and then I would have loved to tell you about anything you want to know.”

“But that's the same thing we got in fairy school. It's only theory. I'm spending my days here disguised as a human so I thought I can make use of this opportunity and learn and see and experience as much as I can.”

“Where does this mindset suddenly come from? When you started out as a human, you weren't thrilled at all.”

“That's right, but as I said, I realized that it is a chance, a really good opportunity which I shouldn't waste. I admit, in the beginning I dreaded the thought of spending so much time in the human world and with humans. But I learned that human life isn't as boring and annoying as they told us in fairy school. I learned that fairies aren't superior in any way. I had some prejudices, but now they are all gone. I saw a lot of things which I never have dreamed of being able to experience. I learned a lot. I met the kids, and they are so sweet and fun to be around, and I adore them. And even more important, I met _you_ and.....” Mark looks at him, biting his bottom lip. His facial expression reveals that the wheels in his head are turning quickly, searching for the right thing to say. Unfortunately his face doesn't spell out his exact thoughts. Jinyoung would give everything to know them.

“ _And_?”

“And.... I couldn't have wished for a better companion to experience all these new things together with.”

A companion, Jinyoung thinks. For Mark, he's a mere companion. The disappointment slowly seeps in his mind but that doesn't spoil the beautiful things Mark said before. So he tries to gloss it over.

“Great, now I can't even be mad at you anymore,” Jinyoung mutters with an obvious fake pout and fake glare.

“Good!” Mark cheers, smiling brightly.

“Don't say it's good! I wanted to stay mad at you for so much longer!”

“But why spending your time being mad at me when we instead could spend our time eating cookies and making plans for the talent show?” He tilts his head to the side, a curious look on his face.

Jinyoung heaves a deep sigh. “You know pretty well how to verbally disarm people, huh?”

“Do I?”

“Apparently, yes.”

“Oki,” he says and shrugs his shoulders, looking way too cute again. Jinyoung wants to bang his head against a wall several times, but he also wants to hug Mark. He decides to suppress both urges.

“Though I'm really shocked about your ability to lie like a pro. This isn't okay. A fairy shouldn't be able to lie. They should be pure an honest.”

“I told you so many things about the fairy world already, and nothing matched with what you expected it to be like. So maybe you should stop holding onto your beliefs and instead accept reality. Fairies aren't holy beings. They are far from being perfect. They aren't pure either. Some of them can be pretty selfish bastards even. You can be glad they sent me to you and not one of the bastards.”

“I _am_ glad,” Jinyoung says softly. “I mean, you're a liar and trickster but apart from that you're pretty decent.”

“Well, thanks a lot,” Mark snorts. “So are we good?”

“Yeah, we are. But please be honest with me from now on.”

“As much as I can, I will,” Mark murmurs.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that some things aren't for humans. But it's nothing important. Anyway, now that we're okay again, we could make it our thing to shower together,” Mark suggests, smiling mischievously.

“Shut up, sly fairy. Don't come close to naked me again.”

“Ooooh, sulky baby, don't be like that. There's still so much for me to discover.”

“I think you discovered already enough during your first shower,” Jinyoung nags with a raised eyebrow.

“Like your butt?”

“Yes, like my butt. And now stop mentioning it. What happened in the shower stays in the shower.”

“Oki,” the fairy boy agrees before he starts humming. A slight smile is playing on his lips as they make their way back to the house.

“Hey, I noticed that you don't touch your wrist anymore. You did it a lot in the beginning,” Jinyoung carefully points out.

“That's true. I didn't even realize it but you're right. I don't need it anymore. It normally calms me down when I'm stressed or under pressure.”

“Is it a fairy thing?”

“No, a personal thing.”

“And why don't you need it anymore?”

“I guess because by now I feel really comfortable in the human world..... thanks to you.”

Now Jinyoung is smiling along with him as they make their way through the night. The serene atmosphere of course only outlives until they arrive.

“Is the couple fight over?” Jinyoung's dad welcomes them as soon as he heard the door open.

“Dad, please.”

“You look pretty happy, I mean both of you,” he retorts, smiling at them.

“Boys, I don't know what happened but you did a good job,” his mom adds. “Mark, I have some chocolate cookies. Take them upstairs with you, okay?”

“Oooh, thank you. You always know what I need the most.”

“Of course I do, Mark sweetie. And it seems like the things you need the most are a sweet snack and a happy Jinyoungie,” she jokes.

“That's true!” Mark agrees and everyone starts to laugh, except for Jinyoung. He is pretty flustered by the entire conversation and nudges Mark forward.

“I hope Jaebeom isn't too sad that you left him all alone,” his mom says before she enters the living room.

“I really doubt that,” Mark murmurs beside him on the stairs.

And then it happens again. When they reenter the room, Jaebeom and Jackson act so awkward and the fairy emits a striking purple glow.

Mark heaves a deep sigh before he starts to nag. “Come on, guys. Really?”

The two boys just look at him sheepishly before they share an impish look and burst out laughing.

“What is going on here?” Jinyoung asks.

“Uhm, nothing.”

“Come on, Mark. Jackson is glowing. Everyone can see it. What does it mean? You guys need to tell me.”

“He... uhm... missed us.” At that the other boys start to laugh even louder.

“Fairies are glowing when they miss somebody?”

“Uhm... not exactly, but I'm sure he missed us nevertheless. Hey guys, I have cookies from Jinyoung's mom. Let's eat cookies everyone! Whoohooo.”

“Mark! Come! On! You need to tell me. Or Jackson? Jaebeom? Anyone? Will nobody tell me what is going on in _my own_ room?”

Jaebeom and Jackson just laugh more, but now they are also spreading cookie crumbs everywhere while doing so.

Mark looks at Jinyoung's incredulous face with an apologetic smile. “Sometimes it's better not to know what goes on in your own room.”

“Yeah yeah, lying fairy. Whatever!”

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Okay, I think we're ready to start,” Jinyoung announces as soon as the last kids, BamBam and Youngjae, shuffle into the practice room. But then he notices something alarming. “Wait, Mark was supposed to escort you from class, right? Where is he?”

“He did pick us up, that's right,” BamBam assures. “But on the way here some girl approached us and asked Mark for a minute of his time.”

“Oh wow, another girl confesses to him,” Sowon blurts out and snorts a laughter.

“Yef, thif if getting tragic,” Youngjae comments.

“Yeah, so many girls confessed to him and he turned down every single one of them. Who exactly is he waiting for?” Yugyeom ponders.

“Maybe he's not interested in a relationship,” Jangmi adds quietly for consideration.

“Wait wait wait wait wait,” Jinyoung interrupts their discussion. “What do you mean with 'so many girls confessed to him'?”

“Uhm, exactly that,” Yugyeom answers, perplexed.

“Don't you know, Jinyoung? All the time some girl is confessing her feelings to him. It's not anything new. Everyone knows,” BamBam reveals coolly.

“I didn't know,” Jinyoung says sulkily.

“Just where do you keep your head?” Yugyeom cackles.

“My head is busy thinking about the talent show, contemplating how I should make you guys win when a little bug like Kim Yugyeom also is in the team,” Jinyoung spits.

Everyone snickers, except for Yugyeom. “Eh? Mean!”

“Stop pouting before my mean foot kicks your bug ass.”

Before the loud boy can respond, the door opens and Mark slips inside. He obviously tries to do it noiselessly but everyone's attention is drawn to him nevertheless.

“Do you have a girlfriend now?” Youngjae asks him bluntly.

Mark only shakes his head no before he joins Jinyoung.

“Okay, start with your vocal exercises first,” Jinyoung assigns and claps twice. The kids comply so he can use the time talking quietly to Mark at the side.

“So there was a girl?”

“Huh?”

“Who confessed to you just now?”

“Uhm yeah.”

“Who was it?”

“A girl. You said it yourself,” Mark answers and looks at him quizzically.

“No Mark, I mean _which_ girl. What is her name?”

“Uh... I don't know. Well, she is like... uh this tall-,” he says and weirdly lifts and lowers his hand between his navel and his neck repeatedly, "-and she has hair like... uuuhhh... black and straight? And she...uh has brown eyes?”

“Oh my god, the next specific thing you will tell me about her is that she has two legs which both reach all the way down to the ground.”

“That's not a lie,” he agrees and nods his head in acknowledgment.

“Forget it!”

“Is it important who it was?”

“No, I'm just astounded to learn that several girls already confessed to you and you never mentioned it.”

“Oh, I thought that's also not important.”

“It is!” Jinyoung exclaims.

“Why?”

“It just is!”

“Oki, I will tell you next time, even though I have no idea what for.”

Jinyoung knows he's jealous without any right and reason, but in rare situations rationality doesn't come naturally to him. Before he can inwardly bemoan the fact that so many girls are throwing themselves at his fairy boy, the door of the practice room opens again. And despite the kids being in the middle of their exercises, their attention immediately turns to the new arrival.

To everyone's surprise it's Jaebeom.

“Hi everyone. Sorry, I'm late,” he feebly says as he closes the door.

“Late for what?” Jinyoung asks in astonishment.

“For... uhm... participating? Maybe?”

The kids are exchanging looks with each other before they continue to curiously observe Jaebeom.

“You want to participate with us in the talent show?” Jinyoung blurts out.

“Yes? I mean, if it's okay. I think I'm a decent singer but I can totally understand, if it's not possible. But maybe I can help in some other ways then?”

“Why?”

Jaebeom sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. “Because I think it's cool what you're doing and I want to support you.”

“Oh... okay....” Jinyoung stammers. “I mean, we already assigned the main parts and practiced for a while, but there is always space in the background choir, _if_ the kids are okay with it.”

“Yef!”

“Yes, please!”

“We want him in the team!”

“Finally someone with us in the team who isn't getting bullied and is at least kind of popular!” BamBam cheers.

“Hey!” Jinyoung chides.

“Besides Mark, I mean.”

“Never mind,” Jinyoung mutters. “So it seems you're part of the team now. Congratulations.”

“Thank you for having me.”

Everyone cheers for him and Jaebeom actually seems a bit shy.

“Also congrats on your other job. You're the new guard for Sowon and Jangmi. From now on you will pick them up after their classes end and escort them to the practice room.”

“I... what?”

“If you have any questions, Mark will tell you everything about it. We're glad to have you,” Jinyoung says with a wide smile.

“I don't need a guard!” Sowon protests.

“Yeah yeah whatever, I'm not listening to you,” Jinyoung dismisses her point since they both know that she's wrong. “And now better get on with your vocal exercises.” He claps twice again and watches with a satisfied smile how Jaebeom joins the kids.

( ﾟдﾟ)

It's nice talking to Jaehyun without being scared to be chased away at any given moment by his horrible friends. Jinyoung doesn't know how Jaehyun did it, but they don't get bothered by anyone at their table in the cafeteria. As agreed, they met up for their Friday lunch appointment. It's peaceful so far. Jinyoung simply hopes that Jaehyun also instructed his friends to leave him alone afterwards. Even though he's aware that Dumb won't like it at all, if he hears about their little lunch appointment.

“The third part of the movie series you like so much is coming out soon. What was its name? 'Yacha', right?”

“You really remember that I like this movie?” Jaehyun marvels.

“Sure, with all these posters hanging in your room it's not that hard.”

“You're observant. Just one of your many good qualities.”

“Have you lost a bet or something? Do you have to give me baseless compliments?” Jinyoung laughs.

“No, it's my choice to do it, and my compliments are not baseless. I beg your pardon,” Jaehyun explains cheekily.

“Yeah, whatever. If I find out later on that this was a bet, I'm gonna slash some tires of your royal carriage, school prince.”

“I can't believe you're still going on with this prince business.”

That's the thing about Jaehyun, he pretends to not like it, but the huge smile on his face doesn't go unnoticed by Jinyoung. “Please! Everyone calls you school prince, not only me. And I also know that you secretly love it, but I'll let you pretend to hate it because I don't like to embarrass people.”

“You're too kind,” he laughs. “Another one of your good qualities.”

“Another baseless compliment.”

“It's not baseless.”

“I feel like we keep repeating our conversation.”

“You're right. Change of subject?”

“Oh dear school prince Jaehyun!” Jinyoung starts with exaggerated reverence.

“Seems like it was a bad idea because this introduction never means something good. What do you need again?”

“Your attention,” Jinyoung coos, brightly smiling.

“I bet that's not all.”

“Aaaaaand your support. You know how my friends are taking part in the talent show, and marketing is everything, right?”

“I can't, Jinyoung. You know some of my friends participate as well. I can't promote your friends.”

“Ugh... sad. But that's not what I wanted. So it's-”

“No, I can't.”

“Hear me out, school prince.”

“No, everything concerning the talent show... let's not talk about it.”

“Ugh... sad, part two.”

“Jinyoung!” Jaehyun laughs. He reaches for his wrist and playfully squeezes it. “Don't be sulky. Though you're cute when you're sulky.”

“Another baseless compliment can't get you out of this, mister school prince.”

“Alright. Change of subject again. Now it's my turn. The new kid-”

“Mark?”

“Yeah, you grew close pretty quickly, right? I barely see you without him these days. Did you know him before he started going to our school?”

“Yes, only briefly though. I'm glad he's here. He's a great help with the talent show, the kids and everything.”

“What about his-”

“No, I won't give you his number.”

“What?”

“I won't give out his phone number and I won't help any of your friends to confess to him or get close to him or anything alike. Sorry.”

“That's not it though. Surprisingly you seem a little unnerved now.”

“Because it _is_ unnerving. All these annoying people trying to approach him!” Jinyoung nags.

“Mark beat up Junghoon and Chulsoo and he also seduced Minnie. I never really talked to him, but he sounds kind of dangerous, like a really bad influence.”

“What? No! Dumb and Dense wanted to hurt one of the kids, and Mark protected him. And Minnie fell for him all by herself. He didn't even do anything. I mean, look at him! No surprise people are falling for Mark just by looking at him. But he isn't a bad influence at all. On the contrary, he's one of the good ones. He's warm-hearted and considerate, and it's adorable how he cares about the kids.”

Jaehyun looks intently at him for a long while, not saying anything. Jinyoung has no idea what's on his mind. Did he say something wrong?

“You know what? I'm sorry I didn't hear you out earlier. Regarding the talent show, please tell me what you wanted to suggest.”

“What... really?”

“Of course,” he says and flashes him his typical school-prince-smile. “I want your kids to have a fair chance.”

“Oh... okay, yes! Great! So listen, I don't want you to tell people to vote for my kids. I know that's what you thought I would ask for, but it's not. I don't want you to influence people beforehand to vote for this or that. We didn't see any of the performances yet so why would you ask people to vote for my friends or your friends or anyone else, right? I just want to have this fair chance you mentioned, for everyone. A chance to be judged by their performance and not by their image. I also want your friends to be judged by their performance and not by their weird popularity.”

“ _Weird_ you say,” Jaehyun laughs.

“Yeah, because truth to be told, most of them aren't very smart, nor overly talented, nor reasonable or kind. I can't really make out what they are popular for.”

“Jinyoung... you're really a breath of fresh air,” he keeps laughing.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“Let me help you. They are popular because of their looks, okay?”

“Wow, what a revelation.” Jinyoung deadpans and the other boy just laughs and laughs. “No honestly, what an inadequate reason to be popular. What's up with people? Why are humans so weird?”

“You're cute _and_ pretty amazing, Jinyoung.” Jaehyun seems to have the time of his life while Jinyoung makes his points clear, and he has no idea what about it amuses the school prince to this extent. “So back to the point, what exactly would you want me to do?”

“Simple, I want you to do nothing. Don't go around, promoting your friends. Don't promote anyone. If somebody asks you for your opinion, just say you're excited to see all the different performances. That's all.”

“I don't know.... they are my friends.”

“So that means no fair chance for everyone?” Jinyoung asks and looks with big, round eyes at him.

Jaehyun bites the inside of his cheek while he seems to ponder. He looks at Jinyoung again and heaves a deep sigh. “Alright, I can do at least this much. I won't promote my friends. You won.” And here comes another school-prince-smile.

“That's great! Thank you, Jaehyun. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Jinyoung cheers.

“So now that this is out of the way, I want to ask you something.”

“I'm all ears!” Jinyoung exclaims, still relieved and happy about Jaehyun's promise.

“Do you want to watch a movie with me? It's been some time since we did something together outside of school. And even then, we still only did school work, so...”

“That's a great idea. So do you want to watch the third part of 'Yacha' when it will hit the movie theaters?”

“I actually thought about a movie night at my house, if this is okay.”

“Yeah sure, sounds good. Should I bring anything? Snacks or something?”

“No, don't worry. I will take care of everything. Just bring yourself and it will be enough.”


	8. 1.8

“Everyone is praising our posters and your artistic talent,” Jinyoung snickers as he plops down on his carpet, opposite of Mark. “Bammie even said that they look like a professional made them and that you really didn't need his help. I think he admires you even more now.”

“Ugh... I feel like a damn fraud for using magic.”

“But you didn't do it to be admired, right? You did it for the kids and they love it. What more is there left to wish for?”

“Huh, when you say it that way, it doesn't sound so morally wrong anymore.”

“Yep, that's just the very-fairy-way of explaining a situation. Just remember it's all for the kids.” Jinyoung smiles at him fondly and Mark returns a lopsided grin.

“Now that you say very fairy....” In the blink of an eye Mark changes back into his fairy form. With an expression of sheer relief on his face, he unfurls his sparkly wings. ”A blessing,” he murmurs and releases a satisfied sigh afterwards.

Jinyoung observes him in silence. A blessing indeed, he thinks. Mark is a blessing in so many ways, far more than he ever expected in the beginning. “You know,” he quietly starts to talk. Mark immediately gives him all his attention. “I think I made a great decision regarding my wish. It was really the best thing ever to wish for.”

“Yeah? The end game is still pending though. Your wish isn't fulfilled yet.”

“That doesn't matter. I asked for your help to make them win, but even along the road to the talent show you already helped the kids in so many ways. Every time you protected them from being hurt, be it emotionally or physically, every time you cheered for them, every time you made them smile, it all not only helped them to gain confidence for the talent show, no, it also showed them that good people are still existing and that somebody believes in their talent and their success. That was very important for their individual development.”

“Oh... thanks,” Mark mumbles shyly. His hand comes up to awkwardly play with the strings of diamonds which are hanging from his ear. “But you did all of this long before me, Jinyoung. They already relied on you when I was thrown into the mix. I basically just copied what you're doing.”

“That's different.”

“How is it different?” he asks and tilts his head to the side.

“They think I'm a loser, just like they think they are losers. But you're the cool guy. The winner type. The popular one.”

“What?” Mark laughs, looking seriously surprised.

“ _You are_ , Mark. You don't get bullied. You actually could bully the bullies. Tons of girls fell for you, among them the most popular girl in our school. And you're really good-looking, but nevertheless kind. You managed to rattle the social order in this school like nobody else did before you.”

“I did? How so?”

“You're so popular that you technically have to be part of Jaehyun's circle of friends. That's an unwritten rule at this school. But instead you hang out with the outcasts, and surprisingly people don't label _you_ as an outcast _for_ it. No, they still accept and admire you. It also confuses people, and that's awesome.”

“It's awesome when people are confused?”

“Yes, because this kind of confusion blurs the boundaries between the separate circles of friends. They were so isolated from each other, strictly ranked by popularity, but now they see that a popular kid can hang out with outcasts and nothing bad happens. They slowly realize that this whole popularity ranking is bullshit and they can hang out with whoever they like, and there is no reason to get bullied or bully others for it. Of course, it's still a long way to go before the situation will be ideal, but the first step on the road has been taken. And it started with you.”

“I love it when you become so passionate about justice and equality.” Mark looks at him with dreamy eyes and a dreamy smile. Jinyoung feels like steam would start to shoot out of his ears any moment, as if he's some cartoon character.

“Mark! I was talking about something serious here,” Jinyoung meekly scolds.

“I know, and I love the way you do it. And I also need to tell you that this movement didn't start with me. It all began with you, but like always you won't give yourself any credit, fameless superhero.”

“Stop it!” His cheeks are probably glowing in a bright red shade right now.

“You can tell me to shut my mouth but you can't shut down my thoughts,” he coos with a mischievous smile.

Jinyoung is so flustered already that he contemplates to run to the bathroom just to splash his face with cold water. “Whatever!” he eventually squeaks. “The point is that I think in the future it will be easier for our kids to find acceptance among the other students.”

“Our kids,” Mark quietly parrots.

Jinyoung pretends to not have heard him. He's a mess already so he can't start to make assumptions about what's going on in Mark's head right now. “And it also has impact on the talent show. I still don't expect to receive votes from Jaehyun's bully friends club, but there are enough normal and unbiased students now, and we have a chance to win them over with the performance.”

“That sounds super reasonable. I hope it will come true. Our kids definitely deserve it.” Jinyoung wishes Mark wouldn't smile at him this way, so enticingly beautiful, with his eyes so full of trust and assurance. It makes him feel a certain way. Why does almost every little action of the fairy boy makes him feel such big things these days? He can't even remember the last time he felt remotely normal in Mark's presence. “It's been a while since we had so much time for ourselves,” the fairy boy suddenly points out.

“You're right. I wonder what's up with Jaebeom. He wanted to drop by, like usually.”

“Is he grounded? His sister probably ratted him out to their parents, right?”

“Yeah, of course Hwayoung did that at the first possible opportunity. But Jaebeom said he made his case pretty well. In the end his parents said that he can hang out with me but if he gets in trouble only once because of me, it's over.”

“Pft, as if somebody would ever get in trouble because of you.”

“But imagine Dumb would really have thrown a punch at him the other day. It would have been because of me.”

“But it still would have been Jaebeom's own choice to interfere. I really don't know what's wrong with them. His parents shouldn't wet their pants because of you, but instead better have an eye on the questionable behavior of their daughter.”

“That's so true,” Jinyoung snickers. “But try to talk sense into adults. Mission impossible.”

“Yours seem pretty fine though.”

“Yeah, I raised them well,” he brags, flashing the fairy boy a cheeky grin. Mark snorts with laughter and shakes his head incredulously.

“Hmmm, you know what's weird?! Jackson isn't here yet either. Usually he would be here by this time.”

“True. Maybe he has a really time-consuming wish to work on?”

“Possible, but most of the time he would find a smart way to grant wishes as easily as possible,” Mark ponders. Worry is etched into his face. Jinyoung finds this adorable. No matter how often Mark pretends that Jackson is annoying, it's still obvious how much his best friend means to him.

An incoming call interrupts his train of thought. To his surprise it's Jaebeom, and a video call moreover. Normally he would drop him a message, at the most. Jinyoung just hopes that nothing bad has happened and quickly takes the call.

“Jaebeom, you alright?”

“Sure I am. Never been better.” A wide, foolish grin stretches across his face which makes Jinyoung furrow his brows. Mark crawls to his side to catch a glimpse of the other boy as well.

“What's up? I thought you wanted to come over.”

“Yes, that was the plan but there was an unexpected visitor.” He pans the phone and a brightly smiling and madly waving Jackson comes into view.

“HELLO JINYOUNG! HELLO MARKIE!”

“You don't actually need to yell. They can hear you just fine,” Jaebeom murmurs by his side.

“Oh... okay.”

“Jackson!” Mark exclaims with wide eyes. He scoots a bit closer to the phone, as if to make sure his eyes aren't betraying him. “What are you doing there? That's... that's impossible!”

“It's not, Markie. Our gorgeous Jaebeommie was a good human and scored himself a wish. And guess who the fairy in charge is!” he cackles in an ear-piercing high-pitched sound.

“No way! _He_ got a wish? What for?” Mark scoffs.

“Hey, I can hear you,” Jaebeom grumbles into the phone and now sits closer to Jackson so that both of them are staring back now, basically cheek to cheek.

“Well, I assume it's because Jaebeom overcame his own fears and restrictions to help me and stand by my side lately. He put somebody else before himself. Also he helps out with the kids now. That's a development as a person, and it's a great reason to be rewarded, right?” Jinyoung contemplates aloud.

“Yes,” Jackson agrees. “That's my guess, too.”

“Miracles really _do_ happen, huh?” Mark mutters, still a bit flabbergasted.

“I'm happy for you, Jaebeom. What are you wishing for?”

“Oh.... I'm thinking about it. I will take some time, make a list, review my options, you know? Can't waste this opportunity.”

“Uh-huh,” Jinyoung scoffs and raises an eyebrow at him. “But you guys could have come over nevertheless, right?”

“Uhm, yeah, basically that's right, but we... uh.... decided to review my options together and we actually need to focus, you know?”

“Sure, Mark and I are always such loud troublemakers, so of course it would have been impossible to _review your options_ here at my place,” Jinyoung states, every word dripping with sarcasm.

“Yeah, glad you understand. So we will continue..... reviewing my options now. Have a good evening guys, and see you tomorrooooow!”

And with this Jaebeom ends the call and Jinyoung and Mark are simply staring at Jinyoung's home screen.

“Now this is just ridiculous. _Reviewing my options_ my ass! It's absolutely obvious that there is something going on between Jackson and Jaebeom and they probably use this time to date or something.”

“Oh _really_?” Mark snickers.

“Usually you are a better liar. That means you didn't even try, and that means you already saw through their game, right?”

“Yep,” Mark admits, flashing him an adorably cheeky smile. “You're really smart.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“No, just making an honest observation.”

“Hmpf! Since when did you know?”

“Some time. They are actually very obvious about it.”

“And you never felt the urge to inform me about it?”

“As I said, I thought their flirting was obvious.”

“Hmpf!” Jinyoung huffs again, not being satisfied with this answer at all. “And are we gonna talk about the fact that Jackson was glowing purple again?”

“He was definitely glowing, yes.”

“What's this about? Has this something to do with their feelings for each other?” This has now become a very important information for Jinyoung because if his assumption is correct, he needs to make Mark glow as well. He doesn't know how, but somehow. “You gonna tell me what this means?”

“Nope, not yet.” He supports this with another cheeky smile.

“Mean, like always,” Jinyoung grumbles and crosses his arms in front of his chest. It seems like he really can't count on this sneaky fairy boy when he wants to find out about the glow. “Well, at least I hope they will have a fun time together and Jaebeom will use his wish wisely. I'm really glad for him.”

“They'll probably stay at Jaebeom's place a lot from now on. This means we will have some more alone time.” Mark stretches out his foot to teasingly poke Jinyoung's calf with his toe.

“O-O-Okay,” Jinyoung splutters. This bit is already enough to push him back into his flustered state. “A-And what do we do with this alone time now?” He doesn't even know which answer he expects. As if Mark would answer 'How about making out with me?'.

“Well, you need to do homework before we can do anything, right?”

Jinyoung flaunts his grumpiest face he has in stock. The fairy is such a tease. Also Jinyoung is disappointed that Mark didn't suggest to make out, even though he is aware that chances were slim. “ _Well_ , technically _you_ _also_ have to do homework,” he nags.

“Technically, yes. But will I really be a good student? Very unlikely,” he chuckles.

“Fine. Whatever,” Jinyoung sighs. Mark is at least right with the fact that he must do homework, so why not doing it now? He grabs his backpack to get his books.

“Hey, what is this?” Mark asks when he snatches a piece of paper that peeks out between his books.

“Just my latest to-do list.”

“Buying snacks for movie night,” Mark reads out aloud. “You really think this is a good idea?”

“Yeah, I mean Jaehyun said I don't need to bring anything but I think it's rude to show up empty-handed, you know?”

“No, Jinyoung. I meant if you really think it's a good idea to go to his house.”

Jinyoung looks up from his book to examine a skeptical looking fairy face. Though the skepticism truly confuses him.

“Yeah, it's not my first time to go there anyway. Something wrong with it?”

“Hmmm...”

“What?”

“Don't get me wrong, Jinyoung, but you're sometimes a little naive.”

“Excuse me, _what_? This is a fairy who tells me this?”

“I told you, I have humans all figured out.”

“And I'm still doubting that a lot. Also I'm not naive. I'm smart. You said it yourself a couple minutes ago.”

“Of course you're smart. These are two different things. But the naive part of you always wants to see the best in others. You don't even want to look behind the curtain to see the possibly selfish motives of people. At least not when they're people you like.”

Jinyoung doesn't even give consideration to this accusation. He rejects it immediately, since he doubts that Mark really knows what he's talking about. “If you don't give me an example, I won't believe you.”

Mark stares at him for a long time until he heaves a defeated sounding sigh. “I have examples, but right now I don't want to discuss them with you.”

“HA!” Jinyoung points his index finger directly at the surprised looking fairy boy in accusation.

“Ha what?”

“HA, so your naive-remark is invalid.”

“It still exists. It was an observation, Jinyoung. Would you at least think-”

“No. I know you mean well, but I exactly know what I'm doing. No naivity here.” Jinyoung taps his temple and flashes him a smug smile.

“What _you do_ is not the problem. What other people do, is.”

“You're so vague today. I really can't work with these strange bits of information you're giving me.”

“Sorry, I don't want to confuse you,” Mark sighs. He runs a hand through his blond, styled hair and readjusts his wreath. “I just think a lot about you.”

“Oh, okay....” And Jinyoung is flustered again. Just when he felt like he finally would be on top of things, Mark would say something like this. “T-Thank you.”

“You're so precious Jinyoung. I just want you to always be well and live a good life. I only want you to receive kindness, because you don't deserve any less. You always expect so much more from yourself than you expect from others. You're such a starry-eyed idealist, always being hard on yourself but lenient with others. You're brave. You always give it your all. And you deserve everything good in the world. The mere thought of somebody trampling all over you makes me bristle with anger.”

Such a passionate speech is the last thing he expected now. His entire head is feeling hot like a stove again. So this is how Mark sees him. Only good things, apart from the naive-bit he brought up earlier. He feels flattered, no discussion there, but it also astounds him that Mark would bring up all these things now.

“Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate it that you view me in such a positive light. But what has all of this to do with Jaehyun?”

“Oki, to make it short: I don't have a good feeling about him. His actions and his behavior, it all feels dubious and not straightforward. Jinyoung, are you sure that he has good intentions?”

“Yes, of course. We're friends, Mark. He isn't one of the bullies. You know that.”

“At least it _seems_ like it,” he says through gritted teeth.

“No, honestly. I _know_ him. There is no reason to worry. Promise.”

“Fine,” Mark eventually murmurs and it sounds very dejected. “Just remember, if something happens, just call me.”

“Everything will be just fine, but yes, I keep it in mind,” Jinyoung tries to reassure him, since he still looks worried for no reason.

“If you call me, I'll be there.”

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Where is your mom tonight?” This was Jinyoung's question after entering Jaehyun's empty house the following Friday evening.

“Out with a friend.” This was his answer.

So they would be alone for the time being. Jinyoung pointed out that they could make use of the large flat screen TV in the living room then, but Jaehyun wanted the movie night to take place in his room. Jinyoung would have appreciated the more spacious living room and the close proximity to the kitchen, but he still follows the other boy up the stairs and into his room. They grab a few pillows and the pile of snacks and make themselves comfortable on Jaehyun's single bed.

He wouldn't have pegged Jaehyun as someone who likes romantic comedies. Okay, maybe he would have, since he's the school prince and everything, but Jinyoung doesn't like it too much when cliches are proven to be true. But in this case they really are.

After finishing '500 Days Of Summer' Jaehyun whips out 'She's All That'.

“Uuuh, such a classic,” Jinyoung coos.

“Yeah, I thought we might as well could watch something high school related.”

“True. Some of those typical high school movies hit close to reality, _if_ you overlook the cheesy endings, I mean. Which reminds me that our school's prince charming didn't find his princess yet, right?” Jinyoung quips.

“Pardon?”

It was only meant to be a tiny teasing remark, but Jaehyun seems to have lost his cool over it. Jinyoung feels like he should explain himself. “Uhm... as far as I know you don't have a girlfriend.... and now that I think back, I don't remember you ever had one?”

This seems to make him only more uncomfortable. Jinyoung hugs his knees and places his cheek on them as he observes Jaehyun beside him. The school prince changes into sitting cross-legged, his back and head leaning against the wall behind him. When he finally starts to speak, his typical school prince smile makes a comeback. “I don't need a girlfriend right now. Precious friends are enough these days. Precious friends, like you.”

“Oh thanks. You make me a little shy.”

“But I truly mean it, Jinyoung. You handled the secret about my parents' divorce so well. I know I can trust you with anything.”

“That's a matter of honor. Though I wonder why it was so important to you to hide it. I mean, even now after the worst part is over, you still haven't told anyone, right?”

“Yeah, I don't feel good about other people knowing.”

“Jaehyun, we're living in modern times. Divorces happen everywhere and people barely even bat an eyelash because of it these days.”

“I just.... I don't think it's what people expect my life to be like,” he mumbles. Jaehyun isn't looking back at Jinyoung. Instead he plucks at a loose thread on his jeans.

“Huh? Who cares what others expect?”

“I have an image to uphold, Jinyoung. You probably can't relate, but it's important to me.”

“Yeah, I can't relate because I'm a loser, right?” he snorts bitterly.

“That's not what I meant!” Now he's finally looking at Jinyoung. Confusion and a hint of panic seized his face. His hand comes up to soothingly touch Jinyoung's shoulder, but he shakes him off.

“I know how you meant it. The thing is, at least I live freely. Yes, not everyone likes me and the things I do or say, but who cares? I can speak my mind whenever I want without having to think twice. But you have to go the extra mile just to uphold your weird popularity? That sounds so wrong. What are you afraid of?”

“People are talking,” he murmurs. He seems to get more and more distraught as the conversation moves on. It doesn't escape Jinyoung's attention. He's sure he never saw so much of the real Jaehyun since he found out about the divorce issue.

“So what? Let them talk,” Jinyoung says softly.

“You said you are aware that not all people like you because of the things you do and say. You're strong. You can handle it, Jinyoung. But.... I can't.”

“Are you afraid your friends would turn their backs on you when they see some snippets of your not so perfect life?” Jaehyun recoils as if Jinyoung's words physically hurt him. It evokes a certain sense of pity in Jinyoung. The usually so confident school prince now looks lost and desperate, so much that Jinyoung just wants to hug him to make him feel safe. He flashes him a tiny, sad smile and slips an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into his side. He simply hates to see his friends suffer. He hates it so very much that it eats him up inside. The least he can do is trying to calm Jaehyun down. In a soft voice he says, “Hey, it's okay. Everything's alright. You can tell me, you know? You can tell me about your fears.”

A tiny sob escapes his lips as he presses himself into Jinyoung's body. “Jinyoung, I.... I mean.... I don't know, okay? People are cruel. You know that the best. If they see a tiny weakness, it's so easy for them to bring you down and tear you apart. And I can't handle it. It's much easier to portray a perfect life in front of everyone than dealing with their snap judgments and mockery,” he snivels, before he slightly turns his head to look up at Jinyoung. “I know _you_ don't have any problems to accept people for what they are. You meet people with unconditional kindness. But not everyone is amazing and idealistic like you, Jinyoung. Actually a lot of people aren't. And it's just important to me to keep some details of my not so perfect life hidden from those judgmental people, okay? I wouldn't know how to deal with them. I don't want so much change in my life. The divorce was already knocking me flat but then I realized that-” He interrupts himself as if he's biting his own tongue, as if he almost blurted out one of his holy secrets.

Jinyoung looks down into his big eyes which are filled with panic. Jaehyun probably wants to tell him, but still wasn't done sorting his thoughts about it. Jinyoung decides to give him another chance when he softly asks, “You realized what?”

Ten more seconds of eye contact and a hundred emotions that flickered across Jaehyun's face later, he seems to have made up his mind.

His voice sounds thin and he almost chokes on the last word when he says, “I realized that I'm into guys.”

“Oh...” Jinyoung doesn't know what he was expecting before, but this was one of the very last things. The school prince being gay is quite a big thing, Jinyoung realizes. It would be difficult for anyone to learn this about themselves, but with Jaehyun's ongoing attempt to hide every especialness of his life from other people, this must trouble his mind to an even greater extent.

“Is this all?” The uncertainty is obvious in these few words.

“I'm surprised, but not disappointed. Congrats on being sure about your sexual orientation. I'm glad we have so many snacks here so we can celebrate it properly.”

“Jinyoung!” Jaehyun laughs. Tension seems to fall away from him which equals a thousand tons of weight. He wraps his arms around Jinyoung's middle to cuddle up even closer. “Thank you. Your acceptance always means so much to me.”

“No big deal. You know you're safe with me.” Jinyoung reassuringly smiles down at him. The panic and distress is gone from Jaehyun's eyes. Instead a new sureness is living in them.

He would revel a lot more in Jaehyun's freshly gained confidence, if it wasn't for the other boy lifting his head off his shoulder to kiss Jinyoung's lips.

Jinyoung blinks in surprise, his body frozen in shock. Jaehyun's eyes are closed as he continues to peck Jinyoung's motionless mouth. Only after the shock eased off and Jinyoung's brain jolted into action, he moves his head back and breaks off the kiss. He wiggles out of his arms. The way Jaehyun looks at him, with so much shock, confusion and disappointment, makes his heart hurt. But Jinyoung's mind isn't screaming Jaehyun's name when it comes to the desire of receiving kisses. It screams Mark.

“What the fuck, Jinyoung?” he blurts out.

“ _What the fuck, Jinyoung?_ ” he repeats incredulously. “No, it's supposed to be what the fuck, Jaehyun. What were you trying to do?”

“I think that's pretty obvious. Why didn't you let me?”

“B-Because... we're _friends_.”

“ _Friends_? You are flirting with me for months now, and today was not an exception.” In the mix of all of Jaehyun's emotions, anger is now the most prominent one. His words sound harsh while he beholds Jinyoung with a look of utter incomprehension.

“I wasn't, really. I always thought of you as a friend, a very handsome one, yes, but.... I never felt more than friendship for you. And it didn't even cross my mind that it could be any different for you.”

“Wow.... I really can't believe it. So my friends were right. You were only using me after all.”

“Using you? I wasn't using you for anything!”

“Oh come on, all the requests you made with your sparkly eyes wide open and your plump bottom lip jutting out. You only wanted my help for those pathetic outcast kids and nothing else!” he hisses.

Jinyoung understands that Jaehyun's emotions are running wild right now and that he's upset, but making those kind of accusations and talking about his kids in such a degrading way is just too much.

“Okay wait! Yes, I valued your help with that because you're an influential person at our school. I told you exactly that. Also stopping bullies from harassing the weak ones is the fucking right thing to do. But I didn't become your friend for that. I became your friend because I like you as a person.”

“But not enough to let me kiss you!”

“As I was saying... you're my _friend,_ not my boyfriend.”

The impact of his words reflects in Jaehyun's pain-twisted face. “You're unbelievable. We've been _friends_ for the longest time. This is over now,” he spits.

“What?” The events came thick and fast, way too quickly for Jinyoung to process. He feels like he was run over by a car, with all these outrageous things Jaehyun is throwing at him.

“I trusted you, Jinyoung. And look what happens when I trust someone. Betrayal! This is all the world has in stock for me! And that's why I shouldn't put my trust in anyone. I thought you were different, but you're just like them!”

“What are you even talking about? Just because I don't have romantic feelings for you, it doesn't equal betrayal. I'm still here for you. I'm still listening to you. You can still put your trust in me.”

“You just want to keep taking advantage of me and my influence. You only take what you need just to throw me aside later.”

“This is bullshit!” Jinyoung barks. “And you know this! I know you're confused and upset right now, but deep down you know I'm not the person you try to make me out to be right now.”

“I did everything for you! Everything! I even told my friends to stop attacking you. They thought I'm crazy and I was scared they would leave me because of it, but I took the risk. I did it to protect you. I did everything for you,” he whimpers. His whole body is shaking, his voice quivering. Jinyoung knows he will either burst into tears or throw punches next. He doesn't want to find out.

“I know, and I appreciate it a lot. But I didn't especially ask you for _my_ protection, and when you expected something in return right from the start, it might not have been such a good deed as you thought it would be.”

“Ungrateful brat,” he growls threateningly. A fierce glare makes Jinyoung's blood run cold. He slowly stands up from the bed and takes a step back. But the other also gets to his feet. Jaehyun's fingers are curled into fists. Jinyoung doesn't think the school prince ever participated in a fist fight, but he also knows that today could be a first. The last thing he wants is to combat against him.

“Can we talk about this-”

“GET OUT!” he yells and takes a step towards Jinyoung, who takes another step back at that. He surrenders and realizes that it's not possible to calm Jaehyun down. “And don't tell anyone! Not about this evening, about me liking you, about me.... “

“Liking guys?”

“SHUT UP! I swear, if you tell anyone... I.... I....”

“No need to threaten me,” Jinyoung snorts bitterly. “We've truly never been friends, right? Because if we were, you would know I'd never disclose your secrets to anybody, especially not about your sexual orienta-”

“SHUT UP! DON'T SAY IT!”

“Of course you can't let other people know, when you yourself still can't accept it. It's your own decision how you want to deal with it. I won't interfere. I'm just really disappointed-”

“Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I don't need a whole speech from you. I don't.... I don't need anything anymore from you! Don't dare to ever approach me again. Believe me, you will regret what you did!”

Angry tears are sliding down Jaehyun's face as he stares at Jinyoung with undisguised hatred. The threat combined with this look is too much for Jinyoung. He tried to uphold his rationality during the whole conversation, but now his emotions rattle him too much. Inside of him everything starts to wobble and crumble as he realizes that this isn't just an emotional outburst limited in time. Jaehyun won't come around after a good night's sleep and apologize. This marks the end of their friendship, if there ever was one, Jinyoung has to remind himself.

Tears start to prick his eyes as well. He has to get out. He can't endure this look of disgust on Jaehyun's face anymore. Never was he looking at him this way before. And the fact that he won't ever see his charming smile directed at him, and won't hear him laugh ever again because of a joke he cracked, just hurts so much.

Jinyoung turns around and bolts out of the room and down the stairs. He throws the entrance door shut behind himself and runs down the street with all the frantic despair. Tears are spilling from his eyes, but the fierce wind of the advanced evening is taking them with it before they even have a chance to slide down his cheeks.

Eventually Jinyoung turns a corner. In the small, dark alley he stops and leans against a cold wall. The only sounds are his gasps for air and quivering sobs. Jinyoung has still problems to process that the scene with Jaehyun is indeed part of reality. This was supposed to be a happy evening. How could something that started with gleeful anticipation, turn into something so devastating?

Slowly he becomes aware that the end of this friendship is not the only thing to cry about. Jaehyun will tell everyone not to vote for his kids now. Jinyoung just ruined it for them. If the school prince badmouths them in front of the entire student body, they won't stand a chance. And it's his fault. All the work his kids put in was all in vain. As he imagines their disappointed faces, he can hear his own heart cracking. Another wretched sob creeps up his throat. He can't take this.

And as if this isn't bad enough already, the thought of what Jaehyun's bully friends will do to him hits next. Jaehyun won't protect him anymore, no, quite the contrary. The harassment he experienced already, before he became friends with the school prince, was pretty bad. He didn't ask Jaehyun for protection but was still glad to have it. But now everything is different. Now Jaehyun is freaking mad at him. And when Jinyoung thought the bullying can't become worse than what he already went through, he's sure they will find a way to prove him wrong and turn his life into hell now. The mere thought of what lies ahead of him lets him shudder with sheer horror. The fear creeps into every single nerve-ending, makes him tremble and convulse.

He slides down the wall, crouching on the ground. It's getting hard to breathe. The harsh wind is blowing in his face, turning his hot tears into cold, wet streaks of misery. He wants warmth and reassurance. He wants friendliness and care and safety. He doesn't want to be alone anymore.

“Mark,” he whispers into the darkness. “Mark, I need you. _Please_.”

Never before was he so relieved to see the blue glitter cloud appear. As soon as the fairy boy emerges from it, Jinyoung jumps up and wraps his arms around him tightly to cry into his shoulder.

“Jinyoung? Jinyoung, what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

The fairy boy sounds so worried. He tries to pry Jinyoung off of himself, probably to look for any injuries, but Jinyoung wouldn't let go. He won't ever let go.

Mark relents and just embraces Jinyoung, still trying to elicit any information from him. But Jinyoung still bawls like a child. He chokes on his words and ends up whining only unintelligible fragments into the fabric of his t-shirt.

“Jinyoung, hold onto me. Don't let go, yes?” As if Mark would need to tell him that, Jinyoung thinks as he squeezes the fairy boy even tighter. “I'll bring you home now.”

The chilly wind disappeared and took the fierce coldness with it. And for sure, when Jinyoung opens his eyes the next time, he stands in the middle of his room, still clinging to the fairy boy.

But that doesn't mean any of his misery has vanished. He starts to sob even louder. He doesn't care about how pathetic he must look, not in front of Mark. He only cares about all the hope that once existed and now is gone.

Mark strokes his back and makes little sh sh sh noises to calm him down. Though it's no use. Jinyoung is inconsolable. He can't speak and he can't let go. He just wants the fairy boy to hold him. In the end Mark guides them to Jinyoung's bed. In an ungraceful motion, he manages to lie down in it with Jinyoung on top of him. Like a baby he snuggles into the fairy boy's strong arms and cries into his chest.

Though suddenly a great calmness seizes him. The floating feeling is back. The impression of drifting in warm water, without the feeling of being wet, dispels some of the nagging desperation he felt just moments ago. Jinyoung realizes that not only Mark's arms are embracing him. The fairy also wrapped his wings around him, which envelop him in this blue, flowy curtain of baby-blue glitter. Additionally Mark's typical smell of flowers and cotton invades his senses and suddenly everything feels clean and perfect. He's in a cocoon of comfort, blessed with safety and warmth, exactly the things he craved so much for just minutes ago. Finally he can breathe normally again. He never wants this to stop. He never wants to face a life outside this bubble anymore.

Mark's deep, calm voice reaches his ears. “Cry all you want, my precious baby. I'll stay the night.”


	9. 1.9

Without Mark, he would have gone missing in this dark hole of bitterness and fear. Jinyoung is sure of it.

The entire weekend the fairy boy tried his best to build Jinyoung back up and reassure him, bit by bit. He told him that Jaehyun probably doesn't know how to handle rejection. He told him that the school prince might have overreacted and will realize this soon (though Jinyoung doubts it). Mark tells Jinyoung that he has no reason to blame himself, that it wasn't his fault that Jaehyun misinterpreted his kindness. Also the fact that he overreacted so terribly is something nobody would have seen coming. He told him that it's difficult to help Jaehyun to handle his issues, if he refuses any help in the first place. And with embracing his own sexual orientation, nobody could help him anyway.

Jinyoung came to regret to doubt Mark. It seemed like he really had humans all figured out.

The fairy boy also assured him that their kids could win everyone over with their performance, no matter what a school prince says or doesn't say about them. And Mark made sure to tell Jinyoung again and again that he won't let him get hurt. Whatever the bullies may try, Mark will be by his side.

Jinyoung cried a lot on this weekend. He worried like crazy until he fell into a troubled sleep, just to wake up and start to worry and cry again. And it felt like Mark wiped every single tear off his face and discussed every single concern with him.

And even though Mark helped him a lot to cope and tried his absolute best to calm him down, he couldn't take away the fear completely of what might await him on the following Monday.

So when the day eventually came, he went to school being a jumpy nervous wreck. The entire day he looked around him, to the left and to the right, expecting an attack behind every corner. But sometimes he shook his head, muttering something under his breath about becoming paranoid.

Luckily it remained fairly calm all day. Jaehyun ignored him, as if Jinyoung suddenly dissolved into thin air. No greeting, no smile, not even eye contact was happening. No acknowledgment at all. Though Jinyoung had a weird feeling in class, as if somebody would watch him, as if Jaehyun would watch him, eyes boring into the back of his head. But every time Jinyoung turned around to glance at the school prince, he was staring down at his books.

Mark was hesitant to go and check on the kids during the breaks. He wanted to stay near Jinyoung, wanted to watch out for him. But Jinyoung urged him to go, while he himself grabbed his books from his locker. Mark always avoided this annoying task anyway, since he insists that books are of no use to him in class.

And then it happened what was bound to happen. Right in front of Jaehyun's eyes, Stupid slammed Jinyoung into the wall of lockers. And the school prince didn't even bat an eye lash. He merely glanced at Jinyoung, who was rubbing his shoulder, before he and an amused Stupid went their way. And not only Jinyoung's shoulder hurt, also his heart ached as he watched the person walk away, who he considered to be his friend not long ago. Jaehyun used to be so warm, but now he turned into an ice prince.

Fortunately this was the only assault that day. As long as it's only this much, Jinyoung could handle it. He didn't tell Mark. He would have been boiling with anger and would have blamed himself for leaving him. Jinyoung didn't want that. He also didn't want to take Mark's attention off the kid's safety. That's always the highest priority.

Jinyoung is sitting at his desk, doing homework on this very Monday afternoon. Mark is lazing around on the carpet, lying on his back and stretching out his limbs like a happy cat.

“I had an interesting talk with Sowon today,” he interrupts the comfortable silence.

“Uh-huh,” Jinyoung comments, not looking up from his books.

“She's really amazing.”

“I know that,” Jinyoung says, smiling to himself. “But... what did you talk about?”

“You.”

“Me,” Jinyoung absentmindedly hums, before he really perceives what was said and turns around in his swivel chair to look at the fairy boy. “Wait... what?”

“You two seem close, at least that's what I observed.”

“Yeah, I think _we are_ close. And what about it?”

“I asked her what she thinks about you,” Mark says, looking up at Jinyoung attentively.

“Why?” Jinyoung tilts his head to the side, beholding Mark with a questioning look.

“I was just curious. She said you're very smart and selfless and have a very big heart. Also, according to her, you're a role model, somebody to look up to.”

“Oh... that's very sweet of her. _Surprisingly_ sweet, to be honest,” Jinyoung snickers.

“Yes, it is. But I prodded a little bit deeper and asked her more questions. And at one point she said 'Mark, I know what you're hinting at. But I'm not some silly goose who falls in love with everyone who shows her kindness. I admire Jinyoung, but that has nothing to do with romantic feelings'. Isn't she cool?”

“That's... okay... wow,” Jinyoung stammers, slightly overwhelmed by these bits of information.

“She actually can be mature,” Mark chuckles, blue sparkles bursting all around him..

“Yeah, I guess. Also were you thinking she had a crush on me?” Jinyoung questions, flabbergasted.

“Maybe? I was curious about that.”

“Mark Fairybutton, I think I don't give you enough assignments to carry out, when you still have time for those kind of conversations,” Jinyoung huffs with feigned annoyance.

“Let me live, okay? I already learned my lesson. After our talk Sowon threatened to beat the shit out of me, if I ever dare to ask her stuff like this again,” he laughs. Mark rolls onto his side, propping his head up on his hand to have a better look at Jinyoung.

“That's my girl,” he cheered in return.

“I can't believe that you support her violent tendencies against team mates.”

“But that's how you should react when strange guys approach you, asking strange questions.” Jinyoung shrugs his shoulders, making an effort to look as innocent as possible.

“ _Strange guys_ , huh?” Mark mutters, when he gazes up at Jinyoung with a deadpan expression on his face. “Well, I'm still glad I had this talk with her. Since I know you're only interested in guys, I wanted to make sure she isn't hoping for the impossible. At least now we know that Sowon isn't confusing kindness with flirting, unlike Jaehyun. And we also learned that Jaehyun apparently is a silly goose.”

Mark flashes him a bright grin, looking absolutely adorable. Now Jinyoung seriously questions himself, because maybe he's a silly goose as well. Mark showed him a lot of kindness and support. By now Jinyoung is sure of his romantic feelings for his dear fairy boy. But is he in this alone, or is Mark in the same boat? Is he a silly goose for falling in love with the fairy? Well, maybe. Then he will be the proudest silly goose around, he swears to himself.

( ﾟдﾟ)

Jinyoung is running a little late but he'll manage. The school yard is pretty much deserted already, but Yugyeom has instructions to stay put until Jinyoung arrives after his class to escort him to their practice room. The younger boy's last class today was PE so Jinyoung takes a shortcut to the gym, dashing across the school yard. It's a lot faster than finding his way through the entire school building.

He probably should be more cautious, given the situation with Jaehyun. But since the bullies didn't attack him yesterday, except for this little locker incident, he might be fairly safe, he thinks. And maybe he's just tired of worrying all the time after this weekend of misery. Also it's much easier and less exhausting to block out any looming threat. He wants to move on. But deep down he knows it's probably a mistake. He knows he should have continued to stay on his toes. He shouldn't have declined Mark's offer to first get Youngjae and BamBam to go to the gym afterwards and pick up Yugyeom together. But they were late already, so Jinyoung didn't want the practice session to be delayed further.

It should have irked him, this eerie silence, the fact that not one of his concerns came true so far. Yes, it was a mistake, and now he's going to receive the punishment for his carelessness. He stops dead in his tracks when a couple meters in front of him a group of familiar people appears. His heart jumps up into his throat when he recognizes every person one by one. There are Minnie and Hwayoung, who admittedly maintained a low profile after they attacked Sowon. And there are also Dumb, Dense and Stupid. He isn't even surprised to see them ambushing him. But when he spots Jaehyun he can hear his heart cracking a tiny bit. Jinyoung can't believe he's truly part of whatever it is they are planning to do here.

All of them are either glaring at him or looking at Jinyoung with a twisted smile. He is still glued to the spot, like a deer caught in the headlights. His mind is racing. The fear wells back up inside him in high, roaring waves. All kinds scenarios roll through his head, not a single one of them having a nice ending.

“Park! Where do you want to go so fast?” It's Dumb who asks the question, with a spiteful grin stretching across his face.

“That's none of your business,” Jinyoung eventually answers. He squares his shoulders, trying to come across as calm as possible, even though he's everything but calm on the inside.

“Oh, but it is. We came to play with you,” Stupid announces, every word dripping with venom.

The fear seizes Jinyoung more by the second. It makes his head spin and his insides twist into a hard knot. His desperation drives him to one last attempt to save himself. “Jaehyun,” he starts, his eyes big and pleading, “I know you're not like that. You're not _like them._ _Please._ ”

Jaehyun stares at him coldly, not showing the slightest bit of empathy. He's so different from the boy Jinyoung got to know over the past months, up to the point where he can't even believe it's the same person.

“I told you that you gonna regret what you did. And today is the day,” he spits.

Jinyoung can't understand what is happening. Jaehyun, the boy who whined about people finding weaknesses and tearing others apart with these information, the same boy who sobbed into his shoulder because he didn't know how to cope with his newest realization about his sexual orientation, this very same boy is now standing in front of him, preparing to do something absolutely terrible to him. Jinyoung is terrified, too shocked and scared to even answer him. He knows now that nothing he possibly could say to him would change anything. So he tries to swallow down the lump in his throat and stares back at them.

“Mark!” escapes his lips in a frantic whisper. “Mark, please. I need your help.”

He exhales a pant of despair. There is no sign of Mark anywhere. He knows he has to do something, anything. Almost unnoticeably Jinyoung starts to shuffle backwards. But of course they notice. Like slobbering hyenas, they are watching his every move. Somebody screams “Get ready!”. It must be one of the girls. And Jinyoung realizes that this order wasn't meant for him as everyone reaches into the plastic bags each of them is carrying. Plastic bags, which Jinyoung didn't even notice so far. And if he sees this correctly, the bullies pull out things like tomatoes, eggs and even stones. This is insane.

Mark is still nowhere to be seen so Jinyoung just decides to do the next sensible thing. He turns around and breaks into a run. Behind him hell breaks loose. They follow him, yelling insults and throwing whatever they find in these bags. Left and right from him the missiles hit the concrete. Something that feels like a stone smashes against his calf. It hurts but luckily it only was a small one. The adrenaline keeps him running until what he deems to be a tomato strikes the back of his head. Slightly paralyzed from the dull pain, Jinyoung starts to stumble. He almost loses his balance but manages to catch himself at the last moment. He continues to run, bitterly aware that his attackers caught up with him. His head is ringing. Despite the onslaught of dizziness, his mind is racing to desperately search for a solution. But he doesn't know how he should get out of this without ending up being badly hurt.

Jinyoung struggles for air as the overwhelming panic threatens to constrict his throat. His heart hammers wildly in his chest. He briefly turns his head to glance at his attackers, but it turns out to be a mistake. He trips on the uneven ground. This time he isn't so lucky to catch himself before falling. He sees the concrete coming closer, before he shuts his eyes tightly, expecting the painful landing. But before he crashes down, strong arms wrap around his body and pull him back up to his feet.

“Jinyoung!” a familiar raspy voice whispers close to his ear. “Stay still.”

He opens his eyes to catch sight of Mark, worry deeply etched into his face. His arms still embrace him tightly. And even though the raging panic inside Jinyoung tells him to keep running, he trusts Mark and stays in his arms, clinging to him in a desperate attempt to find security.

His attackers have surrounded them by now, throwing all kinds of things at them from short distance. Jinyoung buries his face in the crook of Mark's neck. He doesn't want to see their hateful looks and the disgusting joy they seem to feel upon making others suffer.

As soon as a straight thought can make it back into his brain, Jinyoung realizes that he doesn't feel the impacts of whatever is thrown at them. He only feels Mark, his warmth, and something else he can't put a finger on. Something like a safe tightness which is pressing him closer to the fairy boy, as if a shell would surround them.

“We gonna pretend to be badly hurt now and go to the ground. Whatever happens, don't let go of me,” Mark murmurs. Jinyoung quickly breaths a word of approval, before they put their plan into action, whipping out an Oscar-worthy acting performance.

Jinyoung whimpers while Mark's groans as they sink to their knees, pretending to suffer immeasurable pain. When they eventually lie on the ground, still holding on to each other, their soft cries trail off. Jinyoung's face is buried in Mark's chest. He can't see what's going on around them but he's still able to hear everything.

“I think they are out cold,” one of the guys cackles.

“Guess they learned their lesson now. Both of them!” Jinyoung thinks it's Minnie's voice. “Let's go. Our work is done here.”

They are really buying it, Jinyoung realizes. Relief washes over him when he listens to the retreating footsteps. Silence surrounds them. Jinyoung is on the brink of looking up, but cancels every planned move immediately when he hears a breathless whisper somewhere close to them. “Oh god.... Jinyoung.... I... I never wanted.... this..”

“JAEHYUN! YOU COMING?” somebody yells in the distance.

“Yeah...” It's only a low mumble. Then also the last person shuffles away, which apparently is Jaehyun.

Jinyoung has no idea what just happened. His mind is still busy processing the attack. How Mark was able to protect him just now is absolutely beyond him. So for now his brain shuts down. He only focuses on Mark's arms around him and the steady beating of his heart close to Jinyoung's ear.

“I think it's okay now,” Mark murmurs after what feels like a small eternity.

Jinyoung pulls his head away from Mark's chest, a bit reluctantly, to sit up and take a look around. They are alone now, nobody else is in sight anymore. His eyes flit back to the fairy boy. The latter sits up as well, and Jinyoung realizes that he's currently more or less lounging on Mark's lap. But his mind is racing with many different thoughts, so their questionable position fades into the background for now.

“You're human Mark,” he points out and feels stupid for it only a second later.

“Yeah,” Mark breathes and smiles at him. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“How did you do it? We are supposed to be a pile of mashed potatoes now.”

Mark starts to pat Jinyoung down, obviously searching for any injuries. “I wrapped my wings around us. They shielded us from everything.”

“But..... you're _human_ Mark,” Jinyoung insists. He's at a loss now.

“My wings are always with me, stunned baby.” Mark grins up at him.

“No way.... they are here? Right now?” he squeaks.

“They are here when I want them to be here. Take a good look.”

Jinyoung peers behind Mark, and indeed for a short moment he can see the faintest sparkle of baby blue. “Amazing,” Jinyoung says in awe, his jaw dropping. “But they felt so different from usual.”

“They are multifunctional. They can be softer than every fabric you ever came across, and they can be harder than the most resilient material you know.”

“Wow,” Jinyoung keeps marveling.

“Hey, what is this?” Mark asks as his full-body examination finally reaches Jinyoung's head. He pulls his hand away from the back of Jinyoung's hand, furrowing his brows while he takes a long look at the slimy substance.

“Just tomato.”

“Damn, these dickheads! I can't believe they attacked you like this,” Mark spits, every word laced with disdain. He picks up one of the bigger stones beside him and lifts it up to Jinyoung's face. “They really threw this at you. _This!_ This could have seriously hurt you, maybe even _killed_ you! Are they fucking stupid?”

Mark is obviously beside himself with rage. But Jinyoung detaches himself from the seething anger which radiates off the fairy boy. Instead something else wells up in him. His emotions are finally catching up. He feels his bottom lip starting to quiver, tears flooding his eyes. Mark notices immediately and drops the stone. His arms find their way back around Jinyoung, pulling him close again.

“It's okay. I know it was scary. You have every reason to be terrified,” Mark tries to calm him down. His voice is quiet and gentle, the anger gone in an instant. His fingers tenderly caress the short hair at Jinyoung's nape, while the latter buries his head in Mark's shoulder. “This isn't even bullying anymore. This is a criminal assault. They weren't fucking thinking.” Jinyoung tries to stifle his sobs. But he believes the fairy boy can feel his fear and shock still rushing through his body. “It's fine. It's fine,” Mark keeps softly chirping into his ear, again and again, until Jinyoung recollects himself.

“JINYOUNG! MARK!”

Jinyoung turns around to see BamBam and Youngjae running towards them. Quickly he wipes the remaining wetness from his eyes. Then he realizes that he's still hanging out on Mark's lap so he tries to scramble off him, but the fairy boy holds him back.

“Wait a second,” he whispers. A few tiny, blue sparkles appear where Mark is gripping his arm. When Jinyoung looks down at himself, he sees that he's suddenly covered in dust and remnants of eggs and tomatoes. The fairy boy is mirroring the look. “It needs to be believable,” he murmurs. “Okay, now.” After he lets go of Jinyoung, the latter finally climbs off Mark and plops down right next to him on the ground. The two other boys stop in front of them, gasping for air.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Youngjae asks, a hint of panic audible in his voice.

“Should we call an ambulance?” BamBam adds.

“Not gonna lie, this shit hurts pretty bad,” Mark lies through his teeth. His face is twisted with pain, looking almost too real. “But I think we lucked out and made it out of this mess without any serious injuries.”

“Thank heavens!” BamBam sighs. “It looked pretty bad from up there.” The boy motions to the second floor windows. “I did what you told me, Mark. I recorded everything on my phone.”

“You.... what? Huh?” Jinyoung searches their faces for answers, confusion being obvious on his own.

“Mark waf picking uf up after claff,” Youngjae starts to explain.

“And suddenly he got into a panic and ran to the windows,” BamBam continues and points up to the second floor again. “No idea how he knew that you were in trouble. Are you soulmates or something?” His eyes wander to Jinyoung and then to Mark, waiting for an answer. But they are just blinking up at him, not intending to comment. “Well, then he told me to record whatever would happen down here and said he would take care of it.”

“I wonder how you got down here so faft,” Youngjae ponders out loud.

“He was in the track and field club at his previous school!” Jinyoung blurts out.

“Woah, really?”

“Yeah, what Jinyoung says,” Mark retorts and shrugs his shoulders. “How did it go? Please tell me you got all that.”

“Let me check real quick. There was no time.” BamBam monitors the recording while Youngjae helps them to stand up. “Hmmm, I got everything on camera, but the last part, when they circled you and threw the stuff at you..... it looks weird. Like the things bounce off you.”

Jinyoung darts a panicked look at Mark, but the fairy boy seems rather level-headed.

“Let me see, please.” Mark snatches the phones from the younger boy. If Jinyoung hadn't seen it before, he wouldn't notice it, but now he's aware of the tiny blue sparkles appearing for not even a second as Mark grabs the device. “No, I don't know what you mean. They perfectly hit us with everything. Have a look!” Mark turns the phones around so all three of them can watch the scene. And indeed, it looks perfectly real, as if no magic was involved at all.

“Oh... you're right,” BamBam agrees, still a bit confused. “My mind must be playing tricks on me.”

“Thif if really fucked up. They went too far thif time.”

“Yeah, they even hurled stones at you. Those damn cowards.”

“Yeah, it's pretty bad. Luckily they didn't hit our heads with these. I actually think we better see a doctor now. The school nurse probably went home already,” Jinyoung says, using his best acting again.

“And tomorrow we will show this video to the teachers. This should be proof enough of what is going on right under their noses,” Mark grumbles.

“Good idea,” Youngjae says with a nod. “Can we do anything for you guyf?” The younger boys are eyeing them with obvious concern.

“We will be fine. Don't worry. But do you think you can practice without us today? Jinyoung is right, we should see a doctor now.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Oh and please pick Yugyeom up from the gym. Otherwise I'm afraid he'd spend the night there if nobody would come and get him,” Jinyoung says, a tiny smile playing on his face when he thinks about the younger.

Both boys agree before they say their goodbyes. Eventually they jog towards the gym.

“This is why you were late, right?” Jinyoung mumbles, looking at Mark with round eyes.

“I thought we could at least make use of this madness and collect evidence. Also I couldn't just appear right next to you in my fairy form. I teleported from the second floor to the exit but I had to run across the school yard to be sure nobody would see me using magic. Sorry, Jinyoung. I'm sorry I was late.”

Jinyoung sees it in his doe eyes, the way Mark blames himself for it, the way he's hurt as much as Jinyoung is by this whole event.

“No! I didn't mean it that way. I was just wondering what took you longer, since last time you appeared right away. But these are really good reasons. And no matter how good our acting performance was, you know that I'm not seriously hurt. And the only reason why I'm not on the way to a hospital now, is you. So thank you, once again, for saving me.”

He closes the small distance between them again and hugs the perplexed fairy boy. He can't ever get enough of being close to him. And if it's also a way to show Mark his gratitude, he likes it even more.

Slowly Mark's arms come up and wrap around Jinyoung once again. For another small eternity they stand like this in the school yard, reveling in each other's presence.

( ﾟдﾟ)

Everything was going surprisingly quick after that. As agreed upon, they handed the video over to the the principal on the following day. And she was outraged about learning that these kinds of horrible incidents happened at her own school.

On the same morning, all six culprits where called to her office. Jinyoung expected a suspension, but it came differently. Just like Mark, the principal classified it as a criminal act. And apparently this school had no space for criminals. So every single one of them was kicked out of school that day, finally and irrevocably. Jinyoung and Mark even were asked if they want to file charges against them. They declined. Getting rid of the bunch of bullies permanently is already more than they could have dreamed of.

Jinyoung didn't see Jaehyun again that day. He wouldn't even have known what to say to him, but it feels weird that he isn't part of Jinyoung's life anymore from now on. Though his last memory of 'the school prince' is everything else but dreamy, so he isn't complaining that he had to leave along with his bully friends.

“You know what this means?” he asked Mark after hearing the news. “Anarchy! This is the chance to create a completely new social order at this school, to make everything less toxic. This is our chance to make this school a better place!” he cheered.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Mark said softly as he reached out to brush Jinyoung's bangs from his eyes. “But first and foremost it means that you're a lot safer from now on. And this is slightly more important to me than any social order.”

Jinyoung felt himself blushing furiously. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from Mark's affectionate smile, so he didn't even try to hide his red cheeks.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Wow, what is this?” Jaebeom questions as he spots Jinyoung waiting in front of his classroom. “A very small intervention?” The lesson just ended and Jinyoung dashed to meet Jaebeom, right after Mark went for his usual check-up on the kids. Even though the bullies are gone, Mark wanted to see how they are doing during the day.

“I just wanted to chat with you for a while.”

“In between lessons?” Jaebeom lifts one eyebrow, looking at Jinyoung's sheepish face with suspicion.

“Yeah?”

“That's a first.”

“Exciting, isn't it?” he quips.

“Jinyoung, come on. Is something up?” he asks as they start to slowly move down the corridor.

“We haven't had time to talk yet, you know, after everything went down so fast with Jaehyun and the others. I wanted to say that I'm sorry they kicked Hwayoung out.”

“Yeah? Because I'm not. That's what she deserves. She was so mean and ornery, she had it coming to her. And my parents are bugging _her_ now and leave me alone. Actually it's a win for me.” He shrugs his shoulders before he flashes Jinyoung a wide grin, eyes in the shape of crescents.

“Oh... okay, well, I actually expected you would be a bit sad.”

“Nah, don't get me wrong, I love my sister. But that doesn't mean I have to approve everything she's doing. And her character development gradually went down the drain since we started attending high school. So either she gets a grip now and comes back to her senses, or she at least terrorizes people far away from me now. Though I hope it'll be the first option.”

Jinyoung slowly nods his head at that.

“You didn't especially come to talk about Hwayoung, right?”

“Not exactly, no.”

“Let's talk after school. I'm going to drop by later.”

“No, I can't.”

“Why not?” The suspiciousness is back on Jaebeom's face.

“Because Mark will be there and this is not meant for fairy ears.”

“Oh oh.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Now it's Jinyoung's turn to eye him suspiciously.

“I have an idea what that might be about.”

Jinyoung grabs Jaebeom's arm and steers him away from the bustling corridor. He takes a cautious look around, checking for other people who might eavesdrop, before he takes a deep breath. “I fell in love with Mark and I want to tell him.”

“And that's exactly the disaster what I thought it would be,” his best friend groans.

Jinyoung's eyebrows furrow as he looks at him with incomprehension. “I seriously expected a very different reaction from you.”

“You can't confess to a magical being.”

“Who says I can't?”

“Common sense.”

“Common sense does not always have total authority,” Jinyoung retorts. With every additional word from Jaebeom, he becomes more defiant. This discussion went down in a completely different way in his head before. Jaebeom's reluctance comes as a surprise.

“But it should. Jinyoung, your baseless bravery will be your end one day,” he sighs.

“Don't always call it baseless, okay? Bravery is something that will be rewarded in the end, in one way or the other.”

“Fine, then get your reward in the form of a broken heart.”

“Wait.... do you think Mark would reject me?”

“It doesn't matter. You will end up with a broken heart anyway. He's a magical creature and you're a human. How is this supposed to work?”

Now Jinyoung's initial irritation turns into impatience as he desperately tries to understand Jaebeom's point. “Don't act all high and mighty when you're actually in just the same situation,” he huffs.

“What? I am not! What are you talking about?”

“I know you didn't spell it out for me, which I'm still kind of offended about by the way, but I noticed that there is something going on between you and Jackson. So tell me, why can you be romantically involved with a fairy, but I can't?”

“This is different,” he mutters, avoiding Jinyoung's eyes.

“How?”

“Jackson basically ran me over with all his... all his _everything_. He has a very intense personality and he made it pretty clear right from the start what his intentions towards me were. And I was just flattered, I guess? I liked all the attention. And he's so charming and so attractive, I couldn't help myself. So I didn't think much about it and just jumped right into the adventure named Jackson Sparklesby. If I had thought it through before, I probably would have stayed away from this. Because a fairy and a human, that can't work out, at least not in the long run.”

“Wait, does this mean you don't think you and Jackson have a chance together?”

“I don't know, okay?” He runs a hand through his hair, the expression of anguish in his face.” I mean, of course I hope we will last a long time but I'm well aware that it's not going to be all rainbows and butterflies. There are many uncertainties. For example, what am I gonna do if Jackson ever has to take care of a freak like you who says 'I wish for you to give me every bit of your free time for the next few weeks'. What am I supposed to do then, when I'm barely able to meet him?”

“Hey!” Jinyoung huffs.

“I didn't mean it that way. Obviously, Mark has come to like hanging out with you every minute of the day. But the notion of your boyfriend spending so much time with somebody else just feels so sickening.”

“Hmmm...”

“And you know that Mark won't keep attending school as a human after he fulfilled your wish, right? So that means he won't have as much time for you anymore as he has now.”

“We would figure things out. I'm sure of that. Because with true love there's always a way, just like for you and Jackson. Also now, the situation is unchangeable. Do you think it would have been better, if you never met Jackson in the first place?”

“That's such a difficult question,” he sighs. “Of course, now that I got a taste of what it's like to be happy with him, I wouldn't want to unlearn it. Nevertheless, the future is so uncertain that it scares me. Our lives are so different. I'll probably go bonkers every time he's on his fairy missions, granting wishes to people I'll never meet.”

“Other people would go to work as well, humans I mean. They spend their time with coworkers and have their own little world outside the relationship with their partner. What about that?”

“But you have to see that this isn't something suitable for the future. You can't ever tell your friends or family about you dating a fairy. You can't marry him or do all the other normal stuff because he isn't a human and can't have a human life. That means a lot of limitations in your life, or _my_ life.”

“What if I'm okay with all the limitations in the future when I can be with Mark in return?”

“My guess is that you will regret it.”

“What if I won't?” Jinyoung challenges.

“Jinyoung,” he sighs and runs his fingers through his hair once again. By now some strands stick out in the most funny way. “It's too late for me. I'm already head over heels for Jackson. I'm in too deep. But you can still steer around this whole mess. Don't confess to Mark. Let this crush silently pass by and save yourself some trouble. I want you to seriously consider this option.”

“But _I have_ those feelings for him, Jaebeom. And they are loud and strong and they seize my every thought. I can't imagine being without Mark anymore,” Jinyoung explains passionately. He maintains eye contact with him, not faltering under Jaebeom's pleading gaze.

Eventually his best friend heaves another deep sigh. This time it spells out defeat. “You're also in too deep already. I see.”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Damn.”

“Maybe.”

“No, definitely damn.”

“But you don't really think he will reject me, right?” Jinyoung's eyes become wide with panic.

“If he's clever, he does.”

“Jaebeom!” he warns sharply.

“Don't take it personal. Do you think it will be any easier for him than for you?”

“I don't know. I only want him, whatever the circumstances may be,” Jinyoung mumbles, his gaze finally dropping.

“Fine, since I can't talk you out of this, _obviously_ , I just wish you the best of luck with... everything. If this is your decision, I will support you. And regarding the confession, I wouldn't be too worried, if I were you. Mark is whipped, probably for quite some time already.” His best friend flashes him a cheeky grin.

“Y-Yeah?” Jinyoung stammers. Now he looks back at Jaebeom again, perplexed by the sudden change of direction in their conversation.

“Yeah, dummy,” Jaebeom teases and pokes his forehead. But then the most affectionate smile blooms on his lips before he wraps Jinyoung in a hug. “Good luck! I mean it, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung is grateful for Jaebeom's honesty, but he's also very grateful for his support. It warms his chest and lets his confidence grow a little. Everyone always tells him how brave he is, but Jinyoung doesn't feel very brave most of the time. He just feels normal, and that isn't such a great feeling most of the time. But support makes it easier, and Jaebeom's especially means a lot to him.

Also Jinyoung wasn't lying to him when he said that he can't think of a life without the fairy boy in it. The idea of never being able to kiss Mark, unimaginable. In Jinyoung's head it's a given that it has to happen. It just has to, somehow. Though the questions of time, place and consent are still huge obstacles.


	10. 1.10

Jinyoung knows he's in trouble. But he can't change anything about it. Basically he's very often in trouble but the sort of trouble changed now. Nevertheless he will deal with it, like always. He will face it, he will own it, and he will kick its ass. And in case he will end up with a beaten ass (or to be more precise: a broken heart), he will also deal with it somehow. He always does. But Jinyoung swore to himself that he absolutely won't back out, not even after listening to all of Jaebeom's objections. He gets it. His best friend is worried. But it doesn't lessen his feelings for Mark. He won't quietly hope for some miracle, for Mark confessing to him first or for him to understand Jinyoung's intentions without a verbal statement. No, everyone always tells him that he's brave, so now the time has come to prove it and face his biggest challenge: confessing to his fairy boy.

“Hey,” Mark says. They both sit on the carpet in Jinyoung's room. Jinyoung leans his back against his bed, his legs stretched out and his textbook on his lap. Mark sits opposite him, cross-legged, while he watches some videos on Jinyoung's phone. But now the pretty fairy boy focuses all his attention on Jinyoung, looking at him with a hint of worry in his doe eyes. “Are you okay?”

Jinyoung's heart immediately tries to crash through his rip cage upon that. Pretty eyes, white teeth gnawing softly into his plump bottom lip, light eyebrows drawn together, everything hits different now that he's sure he'll confess tonight. Jinyoung knows it's pointless to try collecting his thoughts while he hyperfocuses on Mark's pretty features, so he attempts to shift his attention to something else, only to become hyperaware of Mark's pretty fairy features instead. The sparkling blue stars scattered around his eyes, his diamond strings dangling from his ear, following every little motion and catching the light so prettily, the blue roses nestling in Mark's blond, soft-looking hair. Oh no, this isn't good. The memory of this one incident when Jinyoung buried his face in his hair while he tried to hide the fairy boy from a clueless Jaebeom flashes through his mind. His hair was indeed soft. And the addictive smell of Mark, which he noticed then for the first time, has become his comfort scent by now. He wants this cotton and flowers scent whirling around him again. He wants to bury his fingers in his hair and his face in Mark's neck. Now!

No no no no, his thoughts went down a dangerous road. He quickly averts his eyes before he does something stupid. Absentmindedly he tries to grab the short fibers of the carpet just to find something to hold on to. “Sure,” he eventually answers. “Why do you ask?” His voice cracked a little. Damn. He's a ball of nerves when he actually needs to get his act together.

“I think you didn't move for about 20 minutes. You didn't turn the page, you didn't write anything down, and I doubt that you read a single line in that book. Usually you don't let yourself be distracted from doing homework. This is so not like you. What are you thinking about?”

How easy it would be just to pounce on you and kiss you, but also how easy it would be for you to beat my ass for it, and also if jumping off a cliff while yelling my confession would be the easiest option of every single one I considered today, Jinyoung thinks as he stares back at Mark.

The whole day he was pondering about the way he should start, about the words to use, if he should hold Mark's hand while laying his feelings bare in front of the fairy. It didn't help much. It all would depend on the way Mark reacts, and that's unpredictable in Jinyoung's opinion.

He clears his throat to prevent his voice from failing him again. “I think about a lot of things.” Lie! He only thinks about Mark.

“Tell me. Maybe I can help?”

Usually it would make Jinyoung feel good and satisfied, the way Mark is so perceptive when it comes to him. But not this time. This time it just pushes him deeper into his panic. Though he should be thankful. It wouldn't help if he puts the confession off for much longer. On the contrary, he's probably about to go nuts with this prickly feeling all over his body and the churning in his stomach every time the fairy only so much as glances at him. So this is the time, he decides. This is the time to be brave.

“Actually it's about my wish and your presence by my side,” Jinyoung starts and slowly closes the book on his lap to place it next to him on the floor. Mark's eyes widen a little. Does Jinyoung spot a hint of panic on his face? He isn't sure, since he's probably not in his right mind now and shouldn't try to judge things. Though the fairy boy obviously understood that this is turning into a serious conversation. Serious enough to put Jinyoung's phone away.

“Oki? What is this about?” The maybe-panic seems to turn into maybe-concern. Jinyoung knows the fairy boy has not yet any idea what he will drop on him in a minute, but this worried look on his face doesn't help. Jinyoung's nerves are through the roof already, but there's no going back. He needs to be brave now, or he has to keep it in forever.

Jinyoung scoots closer to him, mirroring his sitting position so that his knees are against Mark's. He takes a deep breath before he looks up again to meet his eyes. “I seem to be a very greedy person, Mark.”

“ _You?_ Of all people? The best amongst all weird humans? I doubt it.”

“I want more than what is given to me.”

“You said it's about your wish, right? You.... want something else than our kids winning the talent show? What is it? If it's something easy I'm always ready to use some extra magic for you. As a Graced One I can do this.” Mark looks at him with a smug smile before he starts to giggle. For a moment he can enjoy the blue glitter explosions, though the fairy boy gets serious again when he sees that Jinyoung isn't laughing with him.

Jinyoung presses his lips together in a thin line when he once again tries to gather all his courage. “It's not something I could obtain with magic. This is different, so much more special.” The fairy boy tilts his head to the side and observes him attentively, waiting for Jinyoung to elaborate. Be brave, Jinyoung cheers himself on when he stares back into those pretty eyes. “I want _you_ , Mark.”

The fairy boy blinks at him a few times before he asks, “As some kind of magic slave?”

“Oh my god, no!” Jinyoung quickly denies, not understanding how his words could be so badly misinterpreted. “I want your heart.” Jinyoung observes his reaction meticulously. And after his words sank it, he sees the realization dawning on his face.

But shortly after, his face shows another expression. Something that is hard to decipher. It looks like anticipation, but not in a positive sense. More like a looming threat that is dangling over his head and is about to crash down on him. Jinyoung wants to cry at this. If this is what his confession is doing to Mark, he shouldn't have done it in the first place. But then again, he's still a nervous wreck and probably not able to think straight, so his mind might be playing tricks on him. Anyway, he started it and he will pull through, no matter what the result might be. No regrets!

“Mark.... I.... I know it's not supposed to happen, but I have feelings for you, feelings beyond friendship and beyond what a human should feel for a fairy. I'm so in love with you.... I don't know what to do with all my emotions.” Mark closes his eyes for a moment. He looks dejected, like he lost a bet, or something along the lines. Jinyoung feels his resolve waver, feels the tears coming. But no, he can't give up yet. Not yet. “I'm.... I'm sorry if I burden you with this,” he says quietly, his voice slightly quivering. “I know you're a magical being, and a weird human like me could never be good enough for you-”

“Jinyoung, that's not it-”

“But if there would only be the slightest chance that you feel the same..... I just couldn't let it pass without even trying.”

Mark looks at him pensively, pity and panic mixing in his eyes. Two emotions which Jinyoung absolutely didn't want to see. His gaze drops. It's better when Mark doesn't see the way his unshed tears are gathering in his eyes. He doesn't need even more pity from the fairy boy. It's such a mystery to him, the way Mark reacts. He knew his confession could end unsuccessful, but Mark's reaction is so odd that he can't seem to understand it at all. Also Jaebeom's words were his big support when he entered into this conversation. His best friend said Mark would be whipped. But now Jinyoung can't see any of it in the fairy boy.

“Jinyoung,” he murmurs, his voice soft. “It's not that I'm too good for you. It's probably the other way around. And you don't... _burden_ me with your feelings. It's just not a good idea. It's not... sensible.”

“Sensible?” He lifts his gaze again, looking into Mark's worried eyes. He wasn't sure what to expect before, but definitely not a rejection due to rationality. “Okay listen, I know humans and fairies are very different from each other, and the future will hold many challenges-”

“Jinyoung, let me ex-”

“No!” Jinyoung exclaims passionately. He won't accept this. He needs to know more. “Mark, are you in love with me?”

“There are certain things we have to discuss before-”

“Mark, I need an answer!”

“Listen to me-”

“I'm _dying_ here, Mark. I really need an answer.”

“It's not that easy-”

“It _is_! It's a simple question. Yes or no? Do you have feelings for me or am I really the silly goose who's in it all by himself?” Jinyoung's heart is beating frantically, his sanity on the verge of falling into a gaping abyss. While talking, he unknowingly leaned more towards Mark, he realizes now. His pleading eyes are searching the fairy's face, but Mark avoids his gaze, his urgency. “Mark?” Jinyoung quietly begs. He can't handle the hesitation anymore. “ _Please._ ”

Finally he glances back up at him from under his lashes. Again, he looks so beautiful that the mere thought of a rejection coming his way, makes Jinyoung's throat tight. Mark lifts his hands to fold them in front of his mouth, putting his index fingers to his lips, still deep in thought. Jinyoung tries to swallow the lump in his throat, but it's not working. He's truly suffering here, just hanging in limbo and waiting for the final blow.

“Jinyoung,” Mark quietly starts, his voice strained and raspy. He lets his hands drop into his lap and looks back at Jinyoung with warmth and fondness in his eyes. This sparks the tiniest glimmer of hope in Jinyoung. “I never felt for any being in this universe what I feel for you. How can I not be absolutely enchanted by you? I even think I was tragically bad at hiding my feelings for you, so it surprises me that you even question them.”

Those few words took a huge load off Jinyoung's mind. He suddenly feels so light that he thinks he floats. His throat is freed from its constriction. A sheepish smile spreads across his face upon Mark's confession.

“But why would you even try to hide your feelings?” Jinyoung asks, leaning even closer to him.

“I'm sorry, but I told you it's not a good idea for us to try to..... be something more than a randomly matched pair of human and fairy. I'm afraid it will bring more harm than good.”

Jinyoung's smile falters. The sincerity is plastered all over Mark's face, audible in every word, visible in his pained gaze. His reason is valid of course, but Jinyoung is sure that no matter what, they can overcome every obstacle together. As long as their feelings will carry them, it will be okay. How tragic would it be to give up on this before they even tried? No, Jinyoung doesn't want to regret. And if Mark needs reassurance now, Jinyoung is 100% ready to give it.

He beholds Mark with soft eyes as he quietly says, “It's a challenge, yes, I agree. It probably won't be easy for us. But I can't give up on my feelings for you, Mark.” He reaches out and pulls one of Mark's hands into his lap, gently cradling it in the both of his.

“I don't think you understand the extent of-”

Jinyoung bows his head slightly. He looks up at the uneasy fairy boy from under his dark lashes. “I do understand that I'm ready to face everything as long as we're in it together.” He now dips his head even more and presses his lips to the inside of Mark's wrist. The skin, so delicate and warm, tastes like heaven against his mouth. One of his hands is holding Mark's palm, the other gently holds the fairy's forearm in place. He can hear the sudden gasp coming from Mark. Under his lips, Jinyoung feels the life rushing through the fairy boy. It's energizing. He wonders if this effect is part of his fairy magic or simply part of Jinyoung's feelings he has for him.

Mark starts to tremble in his grasp. Jinyoung pulls away from his wrist to look back up at him. His eyes are wide, his mouth slightly hanging open. His face literally screams astonishment.

“Jinyoung,” the fairy whispers. “This is a little unfair. We shouldn't-”

Before Mark can finish his statement Jinyoung leans back down and reattaches his lips to the tender skin of his wrist. He presses two more kisses into the warmth before he notices that Mark weakly tries to pull his arm away. But Jinyoung won't let him. Be brave, be brave, be brave, his mind is chanting. So he decides to be bolder. His tongue darts out, starting to bless Mark with tiny kitten licks.

“Oh damn… Jinyoung, wait...aaahh.”

Jinyoung freezes for a moment. Because this was a full-fledged, official moan and he can't move on from this easily. He was aware that this area must be very sensitive, but he didn't expect such a satisfying response. A vague plan pops into his mind as a mischievous smile blooms on his lips. “Interesting,” he breathes against the moist skin, which sends a slight shiver through Mark's body. He doesn't try to pull away anymore.

He presses his mouth against his wrist a last time before he moves further up Mark's arm. His lips skim across his forearm, unmistakably eliciting goosebumps. When he arrives at the crook of his arm, Jinyoung again uses his tongue massage the tender skin.

“Jinyoung,” Mark pants. Maybe this was meant as a suggestion for him to stop, but the low voice sounds so alluring that it only strengthens Jinyoung's resolve.

His lips meet Mark's biceps with myriad little butterfly kisses. To be able to continue his journey, he pushes up the short sleeve of Mark's white tee. Jinyoung steps his game up and tentatively sinks his teeth into Mark. Another tiny moan. Muscles tense and flex beneath his touch. God, this is so good, so damn good, Jinyoung thinks as he revels in Mark's little noises. Another peck to the bitten skin, a healing lick follows, then he moves on again. Jinyoung nuzzles along Mark's shoulder, inhaling the intoxicating scent, which he can't live without anymore.

Finally his little expedition led him all the way to Mark's neck. He runs his lips over it, occasionally sucking the smooth skin. The fairy boy swallows which causes his Adam's apple to bob. Jinyoung smiles against him. Just a little bit more. Just a short distance to cover until he finally will get what he unknowingly desired for weeks.

So he starts to prepare his attack, his mouth tracing the curve of his jaw. Then he finally arrives. His lips are ghosting over Mark's, not quite touching them yet. Jinyoung revels in the way the fairy boy's breath hitches. Slowly, he lifts his eyes from Mark's lips to look into his eyes, and what he sees overwhelms him. The fairy's pupils are already dilated with lust. An unforgettable sight to witness. Now it's Jinyoung who gulps. There's barely distance left between them. His heavy breaths are fanning across Mark's mouth while Jinyoung is busy to drown in the darkness of his eyes.

“Hey Mark? Do…. fairies kiss?” Jinyoung whispers, brushing against his lips the slightest bit as he speaks. The tension almost makes him fall into a swoon. But this is too good to miss.

“Yeah, they do,” he rasps, his eyes too intense.

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

A pause. Mark tilts his head to the side just a little, but doesn't tear his gaze away. “No.” His hot breath hits Jinyoung's mouth. He wants him so bad.

“Do you… want to try? With me?”

And now Mark doesn't argue anymore. He doesn't try to talk Jinyoung out of it. He doesn't hesitate. No, now Mark just closes the almost non-existent distance between them and captures Jinyoung's lips in a tender kiss.

And it feels better than he ever imagined. Jinyoung carefully moves against him, savoring the taste he leaves on his lips. Then he slightly pulls away and opens his eyes again to gauge Mark's reaction. The fairy boy's eyes are still closed, his lips are slightly moving, as if he's still searching for the counterpart that has been there just a second ago. When he finally open his eyes, it takes Jinyoung's breath away. The deepness in them, the excessive dark sparkles meet Jinyoung and search for something. Curiosity and uncertainty are mixing together.

Jinyoung just wants to tell him that it's okay, that it will be alright. But before he can even say anything, Mark starts to speak. “Can I.... have more of that?”

Mark obviously doesn't need any more encouragement. Jinyoung is glad to fulfill his wish and brings their lips back together. Mark pulls him closer, back into the kiss which expresses their feelings for each other clearly. Jinyoung scoots forwards to kneel between Mark's legs. What started as careful exploring quickly escalates into a passionate adventure.

The little nips Mark gives his bottom lip are sweet and demanding at once. Jinyoung can't hold his ground for long. His mouth falls open, making way for Mark's tongue, invading a space where nobody else before him ever was. The fairy boy licks into him, relishing Jinyoung's flavor. For a moment the question of why Mark can be so talented at this without any practice, flashes through his mind. But only a split second later, when the teasing tongue licks his own, he throws every sensible thought over board. Mark snakes one arm around him. The other hand wanders to his neck, running his fingers through his short hair at the nape.

Jinyoung gently paws at his chest, pushing him down into the soft carpet. And thanks to the tight hold he has on Jinyoung, the later lands right on top of him.

“Hey, wait a moment,” Mark murmurs, voice low. “Isn't it going a little too fast for you?”

“For _me_? No! No, not at all. Absolutely not.” Jinyoung shakes his head no about 20 times per second to support his statement. “Is it going to fast for _you_?”

“No, I was just worried about y-”

“Okay, great. Let's continue,” Jinyoung interrupts him and without further ado starts to suck Mark's pink bottom lip. And he's welcomed very friendly. It seems like all of Mark's concerns flew out of the window. The hand at his nape ensures that Jinyoung tilts his head a little more. This way the fairy boy can reach even deeper, kissing him with more intensity, licking everywhere so thoroughly that Jinyoung silently wonders how well his tongue would treat other areas.

The thought alone makes him feel light-headed. But he wants it. He wants everything. This isn't going to be the end for today. So he presses even closer, moving his hips and grinding down to meet Mark's crotch. The friction is mind-blowing. Mark moans into him, moans his name open-mouthed against his tongue. It sounds and feels so brilliant that Jinyoung's own moan gets trapped in his throat and leaves him gasping.

Mark's hips are jerking up, increasing the thrilling friction as they are moving against each other. The pleasure boosts between them. The rush of want, the pulsing thrum within him, it all drives Jinyoung wild. Belatedly he realizes that he's already fully aroused. He has to speed things up and decides to slip a hand under the hem of Mark's tee. He feels his slight abs contracting under his palm. He goes into a rapture over the thought that he alone is doing this to Mark. He's the sole reason for all his wonderful reactions and responses.

He's ready to rip these clothes off of him, but before he can act on it, a last sensible thought rushes through his mind. Human Mark usually goes home around this time, just to return as fairy Mark in his room only seconds later. But if human Mark won't bid his parents a good night and leave, they'll probably get suspicious and show up at his door. The thought is too peculiar, so he pulls away and opens his eyes to discuss this with Mark.

But instead of uttering his considerations, he's too busy being shocked by the fairy boy's condition.

“Holy fuck, you're glowing!”

“Oh,” Mark simply states, trying to catch his breath as a lazy smile appears on his face. “Guess it's about time.”

“W-What the heck?”

“Can't you guess by now?” Jinyoung probably looks like an idiot, hovering over Mark with his mouth agape, staring at the blue glow which surrounds him. “Fairies glow in their signature color when they're aroused,” Mark explains after realizing that waiting for Jinyoung's guess is useless.

Jinyoung's mind is reeling. “Wait... that means Jackson.... Jackson was....”

“Horny every time he glowed purple, exactly.”

“But that means..... Jaebeom and Jackson.....”

“Made out every time they were alone, yes.”

“Even when they met for the first time?” Jinyoung squeaks.

“Apparently,” Mark says and grins up at him.

“Unbelievable. They are shameless,” Jinyoung scoffs.

“I share your opinion but to be honest, right now I'm in a very glowy mood myself and don't want to talk about them.”

“Sure... yes, of course. The thing is, you need to say a quick good bye to my parents first. Otherwise I'm afraid they would come up and catch us in a rather compromising situation.”

“Oh, yes. You're right. Wow, your cleverness really shows.” Jinyoung climbs off him to give him space to sit up. In the blink of an eye, Mark changes into his human form.

“Erm.... you're still glowing. Make it stop.”

“Oh, I didn't expect it to last in my human form. Hmmm.”

“ _Hmmm?_ What does this mean?”

“I can't make it stop that easily. It takes time.”

“Are you kidding me?” Mark slowly shakes his head no. Obviously, he is in the process of realizing the consequences as concern makes an appearance on his face. “Okay, new plan,” Jinyoung blurts out. “You are turning back into the gorgeous, horny fairy you are, and I quickly tell my parents that human Mark will have a fun sleepover here. I'll be right back.”

Jinyoung scrambles to his feet and is already half out of the door when Mark calls, “Jinyoung! Wait a moment!”

“I don't have a moment, Mark! This is urgent!” Without looking back he hurries out of his room and rushes down the stairs.

“Hey mom,” Jinyoung catches her attention, as he stumbles into the living room. She looks up at him, sitting in her favorite armchair, obviously surprised at the sudden intrusion. “Can Mark stay the night? There is no school tomorrow and... uhm... we are so caught up in... our game and... uhm... it would be fun to have a sleepover.” When did he start to be able to lie so good? He must have learned it all from Mark.

His mom pricks her ears, looking at him slightly confused. Her eyes sweep over him for a brief second. He strongly hopes that she won't notice how nervous he is. But then her eyes almost disappear as a bright smile blooms on her face.

“Of course, sweetie. I think that's a great idea. Just make sure his parents approve of it as well.” Jinyoung nods eagerly. “Actually it's good that he's here so we don't have to leave you all alone.”

“Leave me alone? Are you going anywhere?”

“Yes! We are getting old, sweetie. We forgot to tell you that we planned a little overnight trip.”

Jinyoung's eyebrows lift in surprise. “You weren't gone over night since..... I can't really remember.”

“Yes, and now you're a young man and we thought it's okay to make a little trip without you. It's okay, right?”

“Uhm, of course. I want you to have fun.”

“Oh, you're so cute, sweetie,” his mom coos.

“Hey Jinyoungie, our favorite show starts in a minute. Do you and Mark want to join us for a nice TV evening?” his dad asks when he enters the room, carrying a bowl of popcorn.

“No no no,” his mom quickly interjects and gets up from her seat. “Oh honey, did you forget that we planned to make an overnight trip?”

“We.... wha-”

“And we don't even have to worry about Jinyoungie because _Mark_ will _stay the night_ and our sweetie won't be alone. Isn't this great?” She giggles nervously as she takes the popcorn from her husband and pushes the bowl into Jinyoung's hands.

A few more seconds go by before the confusion on his father's face turns into understanding.

“Yes! Of course. Our trip! It slipped my mind for a second. Sorry.”

“Yes, and we should leave soon.”

“Of course, give me a minute to pack- get my bag and we can head out. Have fun with Mark, Jinyoungie.” His dad gives him a pat on the back and a wide smile.

“Uhm sure, I hope you have fun, too. When will you be back?”

“When do you want us to be back?”

“Huh?”

“What your dad means is that we're coming back tomorrow afternoon. Enough time for you to.... play some games and enjoy the weekend. There is enough food in the fridge. Just take what you want.” His mom kisses his cheek before she maneuvers his dad towards their bedroom.

Jinyoung is convinced something is fishy about this whole story, but he doesn't want to question it. After all it couldn't run any smoother for him than having his parents out of the house while getting into Mark's pants.

When he reenters his room, fairy Mark sits on his bed, still looking gorgeous and glowy.

“I handled the situation. They say it's okay. They are even happy you're staying.”

“I can't believe you just faced your parents, looking like this,” the fairy groans and points to Jinyoung's crotch. The latter looks down on himself out of reflex and immediately spots what Mark is referring to. In his jeans, his erection is very prominent. His eyes grow wide and his hands come up to clutch the back of his neck as he slowly perceives that this really happened.

“Oh no.... I wasn't aware.”

“How can you not be aware of _this_?”

“I mean, I kind of was aware but you know... priorities. And somehow the prospect of seeing you without clothes blocked anything else. Now I realize why they are leaving the house.”

“They leave?”

“Yeah, they lied about wanting to make some overnight trip, allegedly they had it planned but forgot to tell me. But they lied.”

“Why would they? To let you have sex with your friend from school without them being in the way?” Mark furrows his brows, weighing the meaning of his own words.

“Yes! I really have the best parents.” Jinyoung throws his hands up in the air upon this realization.

“But aren't you embarrassed that _they know_?”

“Yes, of course, but not right now. I leave the dark pits of shame for tomorrow because right now other things are more important.”

He starts to run towards Mark to tackle him down on his bed. Those doe eyes become big and round as they stare up at him in surprise. “Somebody is impatient.” A small smile follows this statement.

“Yes, I am,” Jinyoung whispers. For another long moment he maintains the eye contact, marveling at the twinkle in his dark pupils. Then he slowly leans down, pecking his slightly swollen lips. Mark's hands come up, his fingers splaying out on his waist, squeezing lightly. Jinyoung moves his lips against his mouth, massaging the silkiness.

Mark's fingers are playing with the hem of Jinyoung's shirt. Jinyoung wonders why he's hesitating. Is he only being careful or is he doubting this whole thing? A slight panic nips at the edge of Jinyoung's mind. He doesn't want Mark to doubt. He doesn't want him to reconsider. So Jinyoung presses completely into him, chest to chest and crotch against crotch. In tiny circles he starts to grind his hips down, letting the fairy boy feel his hardness.

Mark's mouth falls open to release a sudden gasps. That's just the right opportunity for Jinyoung to slip his tongue past his lips to explore. And the motivation he tried to give Mark seems to be received well. Mark's hands slip under his shirt and move up his back, slowly feeling his skin, stroking over his shoulder blades. And eventually he starts to tug at the fabric which by now is bunching up in Jinyoung's arm pits. The latter pulls away to look into those beautifully lust-blown eyes under him.

“Hey, can I take this off.” Mark's voice is low and already a bit rough, and Jinyoung loves it.

“Yes, please! Hurry!” He helps Mark to get the shirt off of himself and eventually sits up on Mark's middle with his upper body exposed.

Mark's eyes study every bare centimeter of him. Jinyoung tells himself that this is not the right moment to become shy, but he feels his blush rising to his face. He sucks his bottom lip in, hoping that Mark won't take anything he does as a sign of feeling uncomfortable.

Curious hands find his hips. The fairy's palms rest there, reveling in his body warmth, before they slowly wander up. Mark's tongue darts out to hungrily swipe across his full bottom lip, as his dark eyes follow his hands' movements and feast on the revealing view in front of him. God, the sexual tension takes Jinyoung's breath away. He can't believe what they're about to do, but he still wants it so much.

“You know, you once told me to not come close to the naked you again.” He smirks up at him as he tears his eyes away from Jinyoung's flat stomach.

“I was a fool. I want you very close to naked me. And.... I want you inside naked me,” he says timidly.

Mark groans. His hips jerk up and push into Jinyoung as the blue glow around him intensifies. “You don't actually need to seduce me any more, you know?” The fairy boy runs his fingertips down the slope of his thigh. A shuddering breath leaves Jinyoung's lips. His jeans become a painful prison for his rebelling hard-on. Obviously catching on to Jinyoung's reaction, his hand comes back up, slowly creeping closer to the bulge in his pants. Jinyoung holds his breath, not even blinking because he can't miss a second of what Mark is doing.

The fairy boy places his index finger on the button of Jinyoung's jeans. The latter marvels at the beauty of even his hands. And this finger now moves down, tantalizingly slow. The way his fingertip applies pressure to the hardness in his pants drives Jinyoung crazy. A whimper crawls up his throat. Mark smirks up at him, observing every little reaction. And knowing that those hungry eyes won't stray from him doesn't help Jinyoung to stay sane. He's playing with him, but Jinyoung likes it. If it's the fairy boy, it's okay to be his little toy, he decides in his sensual frenzy.

Mark's sharp teeth bite down on his swollen bottom lip until they leave marks. He looks so sexy that Jinyoung wants to scream. But when the naughty fingertip starts to rub up and down his clothed erection, he rather opts to release a long and desperate moan. His head falls back, eyes screwing shut as he clasps his hands behind his neck. He tries to hold himself together but Jinyoung feels like he doesn't do a very good job at it.

“You're a tease,” he pants, talking to the ceiling.

“And you're cute, _baby_.”

This nickname, the same Mark uses for him almost since the start, and still, now it sounds so different, like it has been dipped in sins. Jinyoung presses himself more into Mark's touch. He needs more of that. But instead of continuing, Mark now lifts both his hands to the button of Jinyoung's pants.

“So.... pretty baby, will you show me your Totoro underwear now?”

The mischievous grin on his handsome face, Jinyoung answers it with a smirk. “Not today fairy-satan.”

Mark laughs so cutely, Jinyoung can't believe that this is the same boy who drove him insane only a moment ago.

“Then what will I find when I unzip these?”

“Sexy black,” he answers, smugly smiling.

“Oooh, I can't wait.” And he really can't. The fairy boy pops the button and unzips the pants. He pushes the fabric down his hips. “Can you help me out here a little?”

“Under one condition. I take off my pants when you take off your shirt.”

“Nothing I would rather do.”

So Jinyoung once again climbs off the fairy boy and stumbles to his feet to get rid of his jeans. But his eyes are focused on Mark, on the way his wings disappear for a second while he drags up his shirt. His chest and stomach look still so very delicious, just like Jinyoung remembers him from the shower incident. After his shirt, the fairy boy takes off his wreath and carefully puts it down on Jinyoung's bedside table. And once again it hits Jinyoung that this is real. He will have sex for the first time, and he will have it with the boy (magical or not) he's in love with.

“Oh, it's really sexy black,” Mark marvels, his eyes set on Jinyoung's crotch. He reaches out towards him. “Will you come back to me?”

“Always,” Jinyoung whispers before he once again jumps on top of him. Jinyoung dips his head, kissing him furiously and pressing him deep into the pillows. Mark puts his arms around him, hugging him closer. Jinyoung feels how the blue glow envelops him, sucking him in entirely.

Jinyoung's hands find his chest, groping and squeezing the warmth under his palms. He wants to feel everything of Mark. The latter nips at his bottom lip. Jinyoung can feel the sharp edges of his teeth in his tender flesh, and he wonders if Mark is just as desperate to feel everything of him.

He pulls away, breathing hard as he beholds the panting fairy boy with a long look. There are so many emotions flashing in Mark's eyes that he fails to name them. But they are all intense and positive and Jinyoung would love to embrace every single one of it.

He leans down again, tracing his jaw line with open mouthed kisses until he reaches his ear. He starts to nibble on his earlobe lovingly, educing a needy groan from him. The sound travels down Jinyoung's spine and let's him shudder a little bit. He wants more of this! Jinyoung takes one of the diamond strings into his mouth, he licks around the clasp, playing with it before trapping the string between his teeth and gently tugs at it. Mark's fingers dig into his lower back, his body going tense under him. His hips jolt, meeting Jinyoung's. The rough fabric of his jeans creates a delightful friction. A breathless moan rips from his throat, the diamond string slipping out of his mouth.

“Mhhh baby, everything about you feels so good,” Mark mumbles into his shoulder.

This blunt statement elicits another moan from Jinyoung. For a brief moment he considers if he should be embarrassed about his obvious horniness but then he decides that it's fine. Everything Mark does turns him on, so what about it? He just wants the magical boy to be just as turned on by him. So he starts to press long kisses into Mark's smooth chest. He moves down along his body, lovingly caressing his sides while kissing his taut stomach. The way Mark's chest lifts and sinks quickly, tells him that he's doing some things right.

He licks into Mark's navel before he drags his lips down his lower abdomen and eventually reaches the waistband of his jeans. More kisses, but they are pressed into the blue fabric with considerably more pressure. Jinyoung lifts his head and meets the dark eyes of the fairy boy. Mark is observing him like a rare animal, not wanting to move in order to not scare it away. But Jinyoung won't be scared off, no matter what. Instead he mouths and nuzzles the hard line of Mark's dick in his pants while maintaining the eye contact. The sexual tension between them feels thick and also sharp at once. It makes Jinyoung dizzy but still so hyperaware of every little reaction of the other. The ways his eyebrows knit together, the way he exhales shuddering breaths and the way the happy twinkle in his eyes changed to a dangerous glint.

Jinyoung realizes that he's kind of paralyzed. He actually has no idea what to do from this point on. Suddenly his nerves bubble up. Mark's erection is so close but the idea of undressing him completely overwhelms him somehow. What expects Mark from him? Is it okay to start undressing him? Would he overstep lines? Could he even handle it without fumbling, looking clumsy and stupid? Oh wow, he's about to embarrass himself big time here. Where is all the confidence he had when he pounced on Mark earlier?

“Pretty baby,” the fairy boy rasps before he sits up. Mark looks down at Jinyoung, hands finding his cheeks to pull him up to his mouth. He kisses him, slow and deep, all feelings and longing. Then he pulls away. Jinyoung tries to chase his lips, not being quite done yet with being kissed so tenderly. But it's no use. Mark is still cupping his face, so Jinyoung reluctantly opens his eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Let me take care of you, oki?”

Jinyoung feels his lips quiver a little at all the fondness radiating off the fairy boy. It's no question, he sensed how Jinyoung is at a loss with the current situation, and he came to help him without making him feel like a fool. He could burst into tears upon so much devotion. Just a minute ago it was all sexual and hot as hell. But now he feels like Mark's sweetness turned him into a big, fluffy candy cotton, though still with a throbbing erection in his underwear.

He brings himself to nod his head, still secured in Mark's hands, as he whispers a small, “Always”.

A sweet smile appears on his lips, and these very lips peck Jinyoung's once again, a second time, and a third time. Then he releases his cheeks and grabs Jinyoung's middle. Apparently he doesn't only have the emotional condition of cotton candy, but also the weight. At least it feels like it when Mark moves him with ease. In one quick motion the fairy boy changed their positions so that Jinyoung is now lying down and stares up at the still smiling fairy. He is busy to keep up with the events but his attention is already snatched another time. His gaze flicks down to where Mark's long fingers now open his jeans. He inhales and holds his breath, watching the fairy boy wiggling out of his pants and also stripping off his boxer briefs. Sure, Jinyoung doesn't see his dick for the first time, but now he's fully hard, and he just can't help staring at it with his mouth falling open.

But again he has not much time to deal with the latest impressions, since Mark is already hooking his fingers into the waistband of his black underwear and pulls it down in one fluid motion. His erection jumps out. It's a relief for it to be finally freed from its prison but also he's now stark naked and Mark stares at him with a wolfish smile.

Quickly, Jinyoung turns his head to the side and screws his eyes shut, even though he can't hide his maddening blush this way.

“Hey,” the low voice says close to his ear. “Everything still good?”

Jinyoung slowly turns his head back and opens his eyes. Mark is hovering over him, concern plastered across his face. Jinyoung nods his head. “Yeah, it's just.... we're naked.”

“I noticed,” Mark snickers.

“Yeah, of course,” Jinyoung says with a shy smile. “I was so dead set on doing this-”

“And now you don't want anymore?”

“Wait! I still want. Very much! It's just I was so brave and bold in the beginning-”

“Yeah, that I noticed, too,” Mark keeps chuckling.

“And now I'm so shy and I have no idea what to do. But I really want this, Mark,” Jinyoung says quietly. His round eyes searching for understanding in Mark's face. And the soft smile that he gets in return seems a lot like what he was looking for.

“Don't worry,” Mark mumbles while he leans down to kiss his cheek. He stays close. His lips still brush his skin as he keeps talking. “You've been brave enough for now. Let me take over and be brave for the both of us.” Mark pulls away to look at Jinyoung. The latter now smiles at him and nods his head again. Somehow that was exactly what he needed to hear to calm his loud mind. “Pretty baby, just try to relax and enjoy.”

And Jinyoung does as he lets the blue glow raining down on him. Mark dips his head to kiss his lips lovingly. Only slowly it becomes more sensual, more heated, when the fairy boy explores his mouth, tasting everything Jinyoung has to offer. He feels Mark's naked body all over him, pressing into him. Somewhere in the middle, his throbbing dick is begging for attention.

Uncontrolled, his hips come up to roll against Mark, bringing them even closer together. And the fairy boy seems to understand. He snakes a hand between their bodies, blindly searching. And just as Mark licks the underside of his tongue, his slim fingers curl around Jinyoung's cock. It's a dazzling experience, a true epiphany. Never before somebody else touched his dick and the feeling is overwhelming. It ignites every nerve ending in his body. He moans into Mark's mouth, not able to hold onto any control or dignity. A gushing fountain of precum makes it easy for Mark to stroke his dick. It's hot and wet and slick and simply perfect. “Mark... mhhhhmmmark...aaahh,” Jinyoung moans, almost being out of his senses. He feels the pleasure welling up in him.

“Seems like we should speed things up a little, huh?”

“Speed... speed up... mmmmhhhh speed yeah,” Jinyoung babbles fuzzily against his lips.

So Mark presses another kiss into his mouth before he sits up between Jinyoung's legs. Unfortunately his hand also leaves Jinyoung's dick and in response to that a whimper of protest leaves Jinyoung's lips.

“I know baby, I know. It's going to get better in a bit.” He watches the fairy boy focusing on his hand, and immediately a light blue glittering substance pools in his palm.

“What is this?” Jinyoung pants.

“A little help,” Mark explains vaguely as he coats his fingers with it.

“Oh,” Jinyoung breathes, realizing that Mark just created some lube replacement with magic. He can't believe that he will put this glittery stuff inside him. But then again, when it comes from Mark, it must be good. Also he has no time to ponder over it for much longer because Mark already nudges his inner thigh in order to make him spread his legs more.

“Don't forget, try to relax.” The fairy boy sends him one last encouraging smile before his gaze drops. Just a moment later he brings his fingers between his butt cheeks and starts to caress his entrance. Jinyoung feels how he presses the first finger into him, holding his breath, preparing for immediate pain. But it doesn't come. Mark moves around gently and carefully while he examines Jinyoung's face. No, there is nothing to complain yet, and maybe using magical lube has that effect. So he exhales, letting go of the pressure in his chest and tries to follow Mark's advice. Just relax.

It's getting a bit more difficult though. Despite Mark being gentle, and despite the fairy lube, he can't handle the second and third finger so easily. And it seems to be obvious. While he still works on opening him up, Mark leans down and starts to place kisses everywhere on his chest. It feels like a bunch of warm butterflies visiting him. It tickles a little and Jinyoung can't fully suppress his giggling. And so he's distracted pretty good. His thoughts only wander back to what happens inside him, when Mark scissors his fingers, pressing against his slick walls, to work him loose. But it doesn't feel unpleasant anymore, still a bit foreign, but also kind of thrilling.

“How are you feeling?” Mark looks at him with clear curiosity. Jinyoung is a bit in a daze right now so he needs a moment to catch on to what Mark is referring to. But the fairy boy helps him along and cheekily wiggles his fingers inside of him. Jinyoung yelps before he looks at Mark with a mix of indignation and amusement.

“I feel surprisingly good.”

“Oki, ready for the next step?”

“Yes, please.” They share a fond smile, before Mark slowly pulls his fingers out. Now Jinyoung feels strangely empty, missing something he didn't know before he absolutely needed. His internal uproar can only be calmed by the certainty that soon another part of Mark will take that place. And this realization brings another quick thought. “Will you now put glitter on your dick?”

“Yes baby, I now will put glitter on my dick because I don't want to hurt you,” Mark laughs. The blue glitter explosions almost get lost in the intense blue glow. Promptly, another small pool of this shiny substance appears in his palm.

“Can I do that?” Mark lifts an eyebrow, giving him a questioning look. “What?” Jinyoung asks, lips forming a small pout.

“Nothing. Of course you can do that, if you want.” So Mark sits back on his heels while Jinyoung peels his back off the mattress. He scoops out the glittery gel and spreads it in his palms. He swallows as his eyes focus on Mark's hard-on, before he slowly reaches out. He wraps one hand around the base and the other around the head and gently starts to move his hands all over his dick.

“Oh fuck!” Mark's voice dropped an octave. His head falls back and his mouth his hanging open. Jinyoung is not going to lie, he likes the reaction he gets out of the fairy boy with just a little bit of dick touching. He applies more pressure, sensually massaging the tip. The low groans he earns himself are his motivation to give his absolute best. So he eagerly keeps stroking his cock, squeezing it and enjoying the way it twitches in his fist, until he feels a hand on the nape of his neck. A moment later Mark presses his forehead against Jinyoung's, looking into his surprised, round eyes from barely any distance. “I'm sorry I have to interrupt you. You're clearly very talented, but if you keep doing this I'm going to come and you can literally fuck yourself. I don't think that's what we both want,” Mark gasps, voice husky.

“No, we don't,” Jinyoung agrees and slowly takes his hands off the now glittery dick. He marvels at his freshly created masterpiece, losing himself a little bit in how uncommon but beautiful it looks.

“Baby, lie down, oki?” Mark whispers into his ear, and it pulls Jinyoung out of his fascination.

“Yes!” Jinyoung retakes his position and bravely smiles up at him. “I'm ready. Give it to me.”

“What a nice invitation,” Mark chuckles.

Only moments later, Jinyoung feels the tip caressing his entrance teasingly. He opens his legs a little more, showing Mark that he's truly ready, and the fairy boy understands. The feeling is more intense than when it were his fingers. It's uncomfortable, the way Mark slowly pushes all the way into him, but not painful. It helps a lot to watch what happens on Mark's face. The bliss of being inside him, the way it must feel to be in this tight heat, he sees exactly how good Mark feels and this immediately makes everything better. He loves that the fairy boy enjoys this, enjoys his body.

Once he slid himself fully inside Jinyoung, he stops moving. Mark leans down, attaching his lips to Jinyoung's neck and murmurs, “And how is it now?”

“Just a moment,” Jinyoung pants. “I just need a moment.”

“You can have everything from me. Everything you need, I just give it to you. Everything. Everything. Everything...”

Okay, Jinyoung thinks, it really must feel _this_ good for him. He stifles his giggle, not wanting to interrupt Mark's reverie. And slowly he feels himself relax around Mark's hard dick. The pressure isn't unpleasant anymore. Instead it feels just right. Like two pieces, fitting tightly together; two pieces which belong together.

“Okay, let's go, Mr. Fairybutton.”

A sigh of relief hits Jinyoung's neck. Mark picks himself up to pull out and then gently pushes back into Jinyoung. The throbbing dick strokes Jinyoung's walls perfectly. He gets the hang of it quickly. Now he not only gets used to the feeling, no, he seriously likes it. Mark's hands find his hips. His long fingers dig into his flesh, holding him tightly to make his thrusts more powerful. The rhythm is set. Jinyoung starts to enjoy it thoroughly, the feeling, the level of intimacy, the blue surrounding them, the intensity of just being together. His breath becomes labored. Beads of sweat are forming at his temples. For a brief moment he wonders why Mark isn't sweating like crazy when he's doing all the work, until it crosses his mind that fairies don't do nasty human things like sweating.

Mark looks so beautiful, drawing circles with his hips and making Jinyoung arch for more. He could stare at the fairy boy forever, with his tousled blond hair, his soft brown doe eyes and his joyous smile. The thought that his glittery dick is doing wonders inside of him lets his own dick twitch on his belly. More precum is dripping out, forming a little lake there.

“Hey baby, watch out, I'm gonna try something,” Mark announces. He grabs his right leg and throws it over his shoulder. It comes as a surprise to Jinyoung, but the new angle gives them new opportunities of pleasure. His thrusts hit deeper, Jinyoung notices the difference right away. And when Mark completely pushes into him the next time, Jinyoung sees stars. His lungs stop functioning for a long moment and his heart is skipping beats. But it all doesn't matter because this flood wave of pleasure, which presses him into the mattress, is unrivaled joy.

“D-Do this again!” Jinyoung demands as soon as his body knows how to function again. Mark smirks down, fucking into him with more force now. And the same thing happens again. This is a splendid piece of paradise which remained hidden to Jinyoung until this day. “Again! Again!” And Mark obeys willingly. Uncontrollable moans choke Jinyoung's throat. He never wants this to stop, but he still wants more of Mark. He reaches out, gripping his middle to pull him closer. He kisses Mark messily, his hands all over his back, his wings, in a greedy attempt to touch the most of him.

“Good?” Mark rasps, while he never fails to keep up the rhythm which drives Jinyoung nuts right now. So Jinyoung answers with some pitiful mewls only. He barely hears himself. Blood is roaring in his ears, his heart is hammering way too loud in his chest. But the fairy boy seems satisfied with his weird reaction and just dips his head to suck a mark into his shoulder.

“We could try something,” Mark pants against his chest, cautiously looking up at him. “It might feel really good?”

Jinyoung can't imagine to feel any better than being trapped in this frantic pleasure he's experiencing right now. But if Mark wants to try something, he won't say no to him. Jinyoung is barely able to nod his head but the other is observing accurately enough to catch it.

“Put your arms and legs around me, and no matter what, don't let go.”

Jinyoung can't think one straight thought anymore but he can still obey orders. So he slings his arms around Mark's neck and locks his ankles at the small of the fairy's back. And this already feels great because he can reach more of Mark, feels everything closer and more intense. He's part of the blue glow. They are one.

Apparently this wasn't all Mark planned though. His hands slip under Jinyoung's body to grab both of his butt cheeks. And not a second later his wings spread and Jinyoung can't feel the sheets beneath him anymore.

“Oh my god,” he whispers, completely flabbergasted. His mind is overwhelmed. Should he freak out because they are flying? Or should he simply weep for joy because Mark presses his hips into him just right and his cock digs into his pleasure spot.

A torrent of moans leave his mouth, only interrupted by his mindless praises. “Fuck Mark, aaaahh fuck fuck so good, so good- aaahh!”

“It's going to get better,” Mark pants.

He steers them towards a wall and presses Jinyoung up against it. His wings are holding them up and in place. Mark keeps snapping his hips in the most sinful way. Jinyoung's head lolls back against the wall as the fairy boy blesses him with new waves of pleasure. Mark's lips find his bared throat. His teeth scrape across it, lips trailing up to bite at the tender skin behind Jinyoung's ear. He screams in ecstasy and interrupts his own string of moans. And Mark was right, it gets better. It gets even much better when his hand finds Jinyoung's leaking dick and roughly starts to stroke it.

This is sheer overstimulation. Mark gives him a piece of heaven inside and out. And if this wasn't enough, they are also flying – fucking flying! And it's all too much to process at once, so Jinyoung stops trying and just lets himself fall into it. Pleasure clings to his stomach and swells to his throat.

When he brings himself to peel his head off the wall to take a look at the fairy boy, the latter looks back at him with so much want, it makes it impossible to hold on to his senses. The blue stars scattered around his eyes start to glow and glitter. The soothing blue glow which radiates off Mark starts to pulse around them, like a visible baseline. And Jinyoung feels like crying and screaming and jubilating because all of this is too good to be true.

Mark presses into him, taking his breath away once again, while his thumb rolls over Jinyoung's slit, and suddenly his core is melting. He screams Mark's name as pleasure rolls through his body in massive shockwaves. He has no control over anything anymore. He just clings to Mark, whining breathlessly, while he jerks against him and clenches around him. And luckily Jinyoung is just sane enough to realize that Mark is hitting his orgasm as well. He sounds and looks so stunning that Jinyoung considers all of this might be a dream. But then again, this is too intense for a mere dream. This feels like the beginning and the end of the world.

They both struggle for air, riding out their highs and slowly coming back to their senses. Mark's arms wrap around him as he pulls away from the wall. Slowly they float through the room before the fairy lays him gently back down on his bed. Jinyoung feels heavy now, like a bag of potatoes, when he sinks back into the mattress. Flying felt surreal. But it truly happened. Mark remains hovering in the air for another moment, smiling down at him. Jinyoung returns the smile, lazy and wide. The fairy cranes his neck to tenderly kiss his lips again. Then he settles into bed beside Jinyoung, on his stomach. His head rests on his arm as he looks over at a still panting Jinyoung. The latter turns his head, taking in the view. Jinyoung wants to always remember this moment, with so much beauty and no worries in the world.

“How are you?” Mark's voice is husky and so sexy. And despite that, the softness of his words still shines through.

“Absolutely perfect.”

“Good. Are you sleepy?” Jinyoung nods, feeling the tiredness seep through his body. “Want to sleep under my wing?”

“Yes, please.”

So Mark once again drapes his wing over Jinyoung like a blanket, and it feels just as safe and flowy and pleasant as the other times. The last thing he sees before closing his eyes is Mark's smile. The most beautiful sight.

( ﾟдﾟ)

Jinyoung slowly stirs awake, an enjoyable warmth surrounding him and his comfort smell teasing his nostrils.

“Good morning, sleepy baby.” This voice sounds amused and low, something he loves to wake up to. He opens his eyes to catch sight of Mark's doe eyes blinking down at him. He wears a lopsided grin. Apparently he's wrapped up in Mark's arms. What a nice space to exist in, Jinyoung thinks as a lazy smile stretches across his face.

“Good morning.” His voice is hoarse from all the screaming. He slightly turns his head to peck Mark's bare shoulder.

Mark hums, sounding satisfied. “That feels good.”

“That's only fair. You made me feel incredibly good last night.”

“I can say the same. Great actually. Good thing your parents weren't home.”

“Yeah, good for us _and_ for them,” Jinyoung snickers.

“Yep, there are only winners in this game.” Mark chimes in, chuckling and releasing blue glitter explosions.

Like usually, Jinyoung admires them. A few sparkles hit Mark's naked chest and disappear right away. But Jinyoung's eyes stay glued to his pecs. The view carries his thoughts back to last night, when they were everything but innocent. He can't believe he finally lost his virginity. And so did Mark, most probably.

“You haven't kissed before so I assume you also haven't had sex before,” Jinyoung states. “I wouldn't have noticed.”

“Of course not, you're a first-timer, too. How would you have known?!”

“Hey, I was praising you. Just be happy and except it without dissing me.”

“Sorry,” Mark laughs. Jinyoung is basking in the glitter rain once again.

“But it's not impossible, right? Somebody like you, you easily could have had sex with another fairy before?”

“I think you forget that I don't have a lot of fans among the fairies.”

“Oh yeah....” Jinyoung becomes quiet as he remembers how Mark was bullied for being so good-looking as a Graced One. “Crazy! You could have every human you want here on earth with those looks of yours.”

“I could?” Mark questions, a smirk playing on his lips.

And Jinyoung is quick to back-pedal. “Well, nobody really knows, right? Maybe, but we will never find out because now you have me so stop lusting after other humans!”

“I never would,” Mark giggles as he leans down to press a kiss to Jinyoung's forehead. “I only ever wanted you, huffy baby.”

“Smart answer.” Jinyoung's pout morphs into a satisfied smile. “When did you realize? That... that you are attracted to me?”

“I couldn't stop thinking about you since the second evening in your room. When you looked into my eyes it felt like you would pull me into your personal magic.”

“I'm not magical though,” Jinyoung points out, astounded.

“I don't know how you did it, but it felt like I never could get away from you and your beautiful eyes anymore. And today I still feel the same way, but stronger.”

“Oh.” Jinyoung feels the heat creeping into his cheeks. The statement, the way Mark reminisces, his dreamy smile and his soft eyes, it's a lot to deal with. “Second evening, that was very early though. I didn't sense a single thing about it.”

“That's because you are a little naive sometimes.”

Mark's smile grows as Jinyoung's smile transforms back into a pout. “Not that again! I'm not naive.”

“You _are_ , but that's also a big part of your charm,” Mark giggles and presses another kiss into Jinyoung's messy hair.

“I said I won't believe you, if you don't give me examples, and it still stands.”

“Good, now I can give you all the examples you want. I was so bad at hiding my feelings and fascination for you, but it took you an eternity to notice. I mean yes, I wanted to learn how to shower, but let's be real here, I also wanted to see you naked.”

Jinyoung is so scandalized upon this confession, his mouth opens and closes, without a sound making it out. He probably looks like a fish out of water. Eventually he squeaks a curt “What?”.

“I was so curious to see you naked. Also you never questioned why I asked you if my body suits your personal taste. Who would ask this kind of question, especially naked in the shower, without having any intentions?”

“Oh my god, you lying fairy! Sneaky, sly fairy! Oh my god! I was in a complete state of panic in that shower cubicle and you just... Oh! My! God! I can't believe it. I was really such a fool!”

“No, you weren't. As I was telling you, you're just a bit naive sometimes. And that's also the reason why you couldn't sense that Jaehyun wanted more than just your sweet friendship.”

“But..... but....”

“Also the way you didn't realize Jackson and Jaebeom were making out from the first time they met? You're so cute and naive,” Mark laughs as he pulls the shocked Jinyoung closer against him. Even the glitter explosions can't lessen the astonishment.

Now that Mark is bringing up these examples, it slowly dawns on him. Maybe the fairy boy is right. Maybe it sometimes is hard for him to notice those things. That's definitely something he has to work on in the future.

“You know that it's not a bad thing, right?” Mark asks and it almost feels as if he would read his mind. A hand comes up and a fingertip gently evens out Jinyoung's frown wrinkles. “Don't think you have to change.”

“But I could be a better person, if-”

“You're good enough. You're great. The best person ever. Perfect. There's no need to lose any sleep over that, okay?”

The heat in Jinyoung's face intensifies and even spreads to his ears.

“Ooooh, look, now you're glowing, too,” Mark coos fondly.

“What really?” Jinyoung screeches, remembering the intense blue glow from last night.

“In a bright rose, shy baby.”

Jinyoung looks at him flabbergasted for a second before he realizes that Mark commented on his massive blush. He slaps his chest, muttering a cute insult under his breath. Though eventually his palm remains flat on Mark's chest, resting there and feeling the warmth.

“So cute,” Mark coos again.

Jinyoung rolls over, trapping Mark between his hands and knees. He playfully glares down at him. But Mark quickly lifts his head and steals a sweet kiss before he drops back to the pillow. The sneaky fairy is grinning up at him. Again Jinyoung is a little perplexed before he starts to laugh.

“Cute and beautiful,” Mark purrs. “Stay like this,” he blurts out. Both his hands come up. His thumbs trace the areas under Jinyoung's eyes.

“What did you do?”

“I applied blue glitter to your eye whiskers. You look like a magical cat now. And still so beautiful.” Again Mark lifts his head and steals a few short kisses. But Jinyoung is so enchanted by him that he now leans down to give him a long and lazy kiss. No hurry, no urgency, only assurance and joy in it.

Eventually he pulls away and watches how Mark's eyes open to look back at him. There's so much love in them that Jinyoung has to suppress a whine which wants to escape his throat. He counts himself lucky. Jinyoung presses his lips to Mark's soft cheek. He trails soft kisses up his face until his lips meet the glittery stars scattered around Mark's eyes. He tries to kiss every single star he counts there, which gives Mark a fit of the giggles.

His arms slide around Jinyoung's bare waistline. His soft fingertips start to caress his skin. Jinyoung looks down into his twinkling eyes. A prickly warmth spreads in his chest as he returns his beautiful smile.

“I've never felt more comfortable than with you by my side,” he whispers, before he kisses Mark's smiling lips again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's finally smut. ^^ Sorry, I had to make use of the fact that wings were involved. Too good of an opportunity to waste.
> 
> Some of you probably noticed that I brought Jinyoung's cool and fun parentsback from Mouse and Mark. They are just so precious. :)
> 
> Also for everyone who might have missed it, here is the story I wrote for the latest MarkJin fic fest, called Tired Of Running. Maybe you would like to take a look.
> 
> https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1458449/tired-of-running
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828150


	11. 1.11

“I bet you're really excited, right?” Jinyoung's eyes sweep over some uncertain and some outright smug faces. The kids, plus Mark and Jaebeom, are seated in a circle of chairs in the middle of their practice room. Jinyoung is about to finish the session for the day. “Excitement is great, but there is no need for you to be nervous. You're well prepared and you're so good. I can't wait until you will delight all your classmates with your talent. Only a few days left. I just want you to know that I'm so, _so_ proud of you. What you accomplished in the past few weeks is absolutely incredible. You've not only managed to utilize your talent in the most amazing way, no, you also grew together as a real team. You stick together and look after each other. And that's more than I ever even dreamed of before starting this whole project-”

“Are you going to cry now?” Sowon asks dryly.

Jinyoung blinks at her for a few moments before he sighs. His hand comes up to comb through his dark hair. “Perfectly possible,” he says with a wry smile. “Too emotional?”

“Nah,” BamBam consoles. “It's good that you care so much. But we all know already. Just save the grand speech for the day of the show.”

“Alright... I guess you're free to go home then. See you tomorrow.” Jinyoung sends them off with a sheepish smile. Jaebeom is the first one to bolt out of the door, eager to get back home to do whatever with Jackson. The kids follow him, but a lot more placid.

Jinyoung is about to grab his backpack and leave as well, but something is stopping him from putting his plan into action. Or better, someone is stopping him, because Mark is quick to turn him around and push him back into his chair. While Jinyoung is still busy to gape up at him, Mark slips into his lap and clasps his hands behind Jinyoung's neck.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Spending quality time with my favorite human.” A cheeky smile graces his face before Mark leans in and kisses Jinyoung, long and slow. After the initial surprise subsided, Jinyoung is more than happy to participate in it. In a heartbeat his mouth is falling open and his arms loop around Mark's lower back.

When the fairy boy pulls away and looks down at him with his megawatt smile, it takes Jinyoung's breath away. It still feels kind of surreal that this is how it will be from now on. That this gorgeous boy belongs to him from now on, that he can look into those pretty doe eyes whenever he wants, and see this dazzling smile as often as he likes. It's a sort of happiness Jinyoung didn't experience so far. A happiness that lets his heart overflow with luck and love and gratefulness, because no heart would be big enough to fit those volumes of joy.

The past two days since they confessed their feelings for each other felt like a dream. The nicest one Jinyoung ever had. And he hopes he never will stop dreaming.

“We're about to go home. We can spend much quality time there,” Jinyoung mumbles, smiling up at him shyly.

“Brave of you to assume I can wait this long to kiss you.” He pecks his lips again before he kisses his cheek tenderly. “I have to make use of every second with you,” Mark whispers close to his ear.

“That sounds like a good plan. Will you hold my hand when we go home?”

“Nothing I would rather do,” Mark says with his softest voice, before he slides off his lap and holds out his hand for Jinyoung to take.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Hey, did Jackson tell you were they are today?“

Jinyoung looks over at Jaebeom, who chills next to him on his bed. They're both leaning with their backs against the wall, doing homework. These days they rarely meet after school. The main reason for this circumstance is that they are both pretty occupied with their respective fairy boy. But today it's just them. Only humans. No fairies in sight. And it's such a strange feeling that it bothers Jinyoung a little.

“Nope, he just said there was some fairy thing they need to take care of. He was weirdly vague about it. Normally he loves talking and explaining in more detail. Huh.”

“Huh indeed,” Jinyoung agrees.

“So Mark didn't tell you either?”

“No, he just mentioned the fairy thing as well.”

“Maybe it's just some kind of boring works assembly.”

“Yeah, maybe. Though Mark seemed a bit distracted these past few days. I wonder if this might be connected.”

“He's probably just distracted by you and the fantasies of how you look under your school uniform,” he purrs smugly.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes at this cheap attempt to tease him. It's time to give his best friend an update. “I have to disappoint you, he already knows how I look under my school uniform.”

“NO FREAKING WAY PARK JINYOUNG! YOU HAD SEX WITH HIM?”

“Please yell a bit louder. I think not every neighbor has heard you yet,” Jinyoung comments dryly.

“Oh sorry, but.... I knew you were head over heels for each other and you confessed and everything. But the fact that you already shed your clothes for him takes me by surprise. I thought you would play hard to get just a little longer.”

“I unintentionally already played oblivious-dumb-teen for far too long, so why should I wait any longer after realizing important things?”

“No, you're right. I'm just... amazed. It's good to reach for what you want and need.”

“I mean you reached for Jackson in less than 10 minutes so....” A grin stretches across Jinyoung's face as he raises an eyebrow at his best friend.

“So yeah, now you know. Of course you know.... about the glowing now.”

“Oh yes, Mr.! Now I know. And it's another thing you didn't tell me.”

“You had too many things on your plate already. I didn't want to take your attention off important matters, just so you can waddle after me and preach about not being a hoe or something.”

“Like I would have done something like this!” Jinyoung huffs.

“You wouldn't have?” Jaebeom asks and lifts a questioning eyebrow.

“Are you crazy? Of course I would have! It was a total hoe thing to do, to jump each other 10 minutes after having met for the first time.”

“There can happen a lot in 10 minutes,” Jaebeom says, flashing a lopsided grin and shrugging his shoulders.

“But you barely knew each other!” Jinyoung tries to appeal.

“You see, he said I'm hot, I said he looks beautiful. Turned out we both didn't need much convincing. So basically it wasn't a hoe thing. It was mutual attraction. Are you trying to say mutual attraction is something bad?”

“Of course not. I just say that you don't have to act on it in a matter of minutes, because mutual attraction isn't usually evaporating that fast.”

“Better safe than sorry.” His best friend is obviously amused by Jinyoung's reasoning. Apparently Jaebeom possesses his own kind of magic power, despite not being a fairy. He can magically let a pout appear on Jinyoung's face.

“You know what?! To each their own. At least _I_ properly knew the person I became intimate with before it happened.”

“Right? Look how great this is. I hooked up with a purple, glittery stranger and enjoyed it immensely right from the start. And you got your little love story with your blue, glittery fave fairy, and wasted truckloads of time before you really got something to enjoy.”

“Take that nasty smile off your face or I will punch it off,” Jinyoung grumbles through his pout.

“The day my best friend threatens me, because I am right and he is wrong, finally came. Glorious!” Jaebeom snickers.

“Jeez, whatever!” Jinyoung rolls his eyes again. “At least now I have my blue, glittery fave fairy and we didn't waste any more time after confessing our feelings.”

“Ooohh, you're honestly so cute. You smile so sweetly when you talk about him. I'm genuinely happy for you.”

The smile on Jaebeom's face isn't smug or amused anymore. It's affectionate and honest. And Jinyoung knows that no matter how much they would banter, he can always count on him.

“Thanks,” he answers timidly. “I really am head over heels for him. I feel so many things and everything is so new and intense.”

“You're so cute, don't make me cry with your cuteness.” Jaebeom pretends to be teary-eyed in an overdramatic performance, which has nothing to do with good acting.

“Ugh... shut up. Don't ruin it, idiot.”

“Sorry,” he laughs. “But I know what you mean. Feeling so many things and that everything feels new, I can relate. I guess part of it is that they are magical beings. So of course a lot of things feel very new and intense to us.”

“Mark smells like flowers and cotton, and seriously, it drives me crazy.”

“Why?” Jaebeom snorts with laughter.

“It's so domestic. Why does he smell so cozy and domestic?” Jinyoung whines. “Why isn't he smelling like... glitter?”

“How does glitter even smell?”

“I don't know, since Mark decides to smell like flowers and cotton.”

“Maybe that's what glitter actually smells like,” Jaebeom suggests.

“What does Jackson smell like?”

“Cheese.”

“What?” Jinyoung squeaks, openly gawking at his best friend.

“Not the stinky one of course.”

“Uh-huh, then it's fine, I guess.” Jinyoung says vaguely.

“You know you're doing this thingy lately?”

“Which thingy?”

“You're tilting your head to the side, like Mark does. You adopted his habit. How cute you are,” Jaebeom snickers again.

Jinyoung can't respond yet. He's too busy to confirm to himself that he's right. He didn't realize it before, but now after Jaebeom pointed it out, Jinyoung knows it's true. Funny, he thinks, in such a short time he already subconsciously adopted this gesture. He wonders what other things Mark changed about him. Probably a lot. Jinyoung also learned a lot in these past few weeks. Many things happened, maybe too many to process them fully yet. What a wild ride they had together up to this point.

( ﾟдﾟ) 

Jinyoung steals glances at Mark. Usually the fairy boy would somehow pass the time until Jinyoung has finished his homework, but now he just sits next to him on the floor in his room, his arms crossed on his chest and his eyebrows knitted together in a frown, silently brooding over something.

He didn't tell Jinyoung any more about this mysterious fairy thing he had to take care of the day before, not even after he asked him directly. A vague reply which seemed like an excuse and a wide smile which did seem fake, were the only things he got out of him.

So if he can't get any further information from him, maybe he can at least manage to distract him from whatever he's mulling over. Jinyoung shuts his textbook and clears his throat.

“Hey Mark? Uhm, how exactly will our relationship look like after the talent show? I mean, it's basically just around the corner and that started me thinking. There will be some changes, I'm aware. For instance, I figured you probably won't attend school anymore, probably even leave your human form behind completely, right?”

Mark still doesn't move. Only the way he lifted his eyes from his lap to instead stare straight ahead, tells Jinyoung that he has heard him. There is no other reaction, no response. Jinyoung contemplates if he's supposed to poke him back to life, but then Mark heaves a deep sigh and returns to the living beings. His hand goes to his wrist, massaging the soft skin on the inside. And that's already enough for Jinyoung to realize that Mark has something to say that he probably won't like.

“Are you actually a mind reader, my talented baby?” There's a smile on his face. It looks sad. He only glances at Jinyoung before letting his gaze drop.

“What do you you mean? Were you actually thinking about our relationship?” At this thought Jinyoung's lips curl to a serene smile. But then he remembers how tense Mark looked the whole time and how he still massages his wrist, which in fact he only does when he's troubled. So the smile falters as quickly as it came. “Wait, what is going on? Why are you looking so..... _tormented?_ You should be happy, thinking about our relationship. Right?”

“You're really such a smart human, you know that? Of course you know that. What am I talking?! It's just dumb me who is impressed by you again and again.”

Mark is still not looking at him. Jinyoung stares at his side profile while he tries to swallow his fear. He fails miserably. “Mark? Just tell me what's up, okay? We can... I mean I'm sure we can find a solution... if something is wrong,” he says quietly, almost whispers. Actually he doesn't want to hear anything which would put Mark in such a condition, but he knows he can't ignore whatever it is the fairy ponders over. “ _Is_ something wrong?”

Mark sighs once more. His hand leaves his wrist and both his palms come up to rub over his face. It feels like he accepted his fate and decided to come clean now. Jinyoung's assumption is confirmed when Mark turns towards him and finally looks at him. “I need to tell you something, Jinyoung.” His voice sounds so serious. Even the twinkle in his eyes has dimmed. Jinyoung tries to brace himself for what Mark is about to drop on him. “I can only come here and find you because as my current client I'm imprinted on you. As soon as I will be assigned to a new client, the imprint will change.... and I won't be able locate you in the human world anymore.”

No, there was no way to be prepared for this. He stares at Mark, absolutely motionless, trying to really understand his words. But no matter how often he goes over those sentences, they just don't make sense to him.

“It's not funny,” he eventually croaks.

“I know.” Guilt is plastered all over the fairy's face. Pure, unhidden guilt, not amusement. So Jinyoung comprehends very slowly that it wasn't a joke.

“No, it just doesn't make any sense, Mark. Jackson could find me as well here in my room.”

“No, he found _me_ , not you. We're able to sense other fairies. Jackson could come to your room because he was able to locate me. And he only could teleport to Jaebeom's room after he was assigned officially to him,” Mark explains quietly, observing Jinyoung's face to gauge his reaction.

“No, that can't.... it can't be. What does this- You honestly tell me I can't ever see you again after the talent show? _Never again_?”

Mark sucks in his bottom lip and nods his head. The motion was so small that Jinyoung almost missed it.

“Like.... when the fuck did you plan on telling me?” Jinyoung spits.

“I tell you now-”

“Because I _asked_ you about it! What? Would you just have vanished and said 'bye Jinyoung, nice time with you, have a good life'? Was this your plan?”

“Jinyoung. I really-”

“Oh my god, am I alone in this? I'm the silly goose after all! Am I the only one who would be absolutely devastated, when we can't see each other anymore? I'm such an idiot,” Jinyoung snarls. Tears of anger, disappointment and despair well up in his eyes.

“That's not the case, oki?” Mark's guilty expression is gone. He looks a little angry himself now. But it's nothing compared to all these overwhelming emotions which boil up inside Jinyoung now. “Do you think I enjoy this? Honestly? My heart breaks into thousand pieces when I think about not seeing you again. I don't even.... damn, I didn't even know how to tell you. I was just too.... afraid. Too afraid to see you hurt like this.”

“So you better didn't want to tell me? Was this your plan? Just leaving?”

“No, of course not. I was-”

“THEN WHAT WAS YOUR DAMN PLAN?” Jinyoung yells through his tears.

“I didn't have one, oki? I didn't know what to do. I don't want it to be true, but it's an unchangeable fact and I don't know how to deal with it. I don't want to leave you either!” Mark rants.

“God, I can't believe you were lying to me the whole time. You're lying non stop! Why? Why can't you be honest with me?”

“Jinyou-”

“NO! I'm done with you! Why can't you say the truth? Why do I have to feel like an idiot all of the time?”

“I just wanted to protect you and-”

“By keeping me in the dark? What kind of sucky protection is this, you sucky fairy? What kind of fairy are you even? Always lying! Always, _always_ only lying to me!” Jinyoung wails, overwhelmed by his tears and emotions. He punches Mark's upper arm and the fairy simply endures it until Jinyoung doesn't even have the energy to continue anymore. The fairy boy watches him breaking down, compassion etched into every line of his face.

“I tried to stop your confession,” Mark murmurs. Jinyoung almost didn't hear him over his miserable, wet sobs. “That's the reason why I didn't want you to tell me. As long as I thought I would be the only one in love, I was fine. When the time comes to leave you, I would have been the only one who suffers from it. But when you told me about your feelings, I realized that it's not only about me and my pain anymore. I understood how much pain I would cause you and.... I just didn't want it to be true. But you were so persistent, I knew that this would be unchangeable, no matter if you confessed your feelings or not. But believe me, I intended to spare you all the pain. I swear.”

“To be hurting all alone?” Jinyoung whimpers. He wipes his tears away with his sleeve to be able to see Mark. And he sees the pain, the sorrow, in his eyes. Only now he can calm his raging emotions slightly to put himself in Mark's shoes. How it must have felt to know that the outcome is inevitable and how it was to carry the burden of that knowledge all by himself, all the while falling deeper into this love. Jinyoung's anger evaporates abruptly, only leaving him behind with the bitter feeling of desperation. “What a stupid plan,” he mutters. “Suffering on your own... stupid, stupid plan.”

“I'm sorry, Jinyoung. I wish I could tell you that I always know what's the right thing to do. But I don't. Just like a human, I try to figure things out as they are happening to me. But right now I'm at a loss.” And there it is, the first tear, sparkling light blue, slides down his cheek. The view is so beautiful and so heart-wrenching at the same time, that Jinyoung breaks down into uncontrollable sobbing again. But at least Mark's arms are finally wrapping around him. The strength and warmth he experienced so often before, comforts him yet another time until he calms down a little more.

But Jinyoung isn't ready to let go of every sliver of hope. Not yet.

“Wait, as long as Jaebeom didn't choose a wish, Jackson stays with him. And as long as you can locate Jackson, I can see you, right?”

Mark sighs into Jinyoung's dark hair. The fairy boy straightens him in his arms so that he can see Jinyoung's face. “You read the standard business terms. Do you still remember the part about the wish determination period?”

Jinyoung rummages around his brain, one by one the memories are popping up in his head. Their first meeting. The way Mark was seemingly annoyed with everything Jinyoung was doing. And the way he himself was astonished, almost overwhelmed with the unusualness of the situation, until he started to process the happenings. And the fact that he wanted to put this wish to a good use. He wanted to get things right. But now, almost 6 weeks later, did he really get it right?

“Jinyoung?”

Mark is observing him, his eyes wide with worry as Jinyoung just keeps zoning out. And he does it again to remember what the document entailed, which he read all those weeks ago.

“Three weeks,” Jinyoung eventually breathes. His chest seems to empty out completely as the words leave his mouth.

“Right,” Mark confirms quietly. “They barely have time left either.”

And the hopelessness falls onto Jinyoung like the blade of a guillotine.

“Wait,” he croaks, “does Jaebeom know? That Jackson can't come back after he granted him his wish?”

Mark shakes his head no.

“Oh no,” he whispers. “He needs to tell him, Mark! He needs to know!”

“Jackson is scared as well. He doesn't want to see Jaebeom being upset. But I'll tell him to do it now. You both have the right to know.”

“Yes... yes, we do,” Jinyoung mumbles. His emotions are still all over the place. Even though it helps that Mark is so close to him. It feels like just by his touch the calmness would slowly sink into Jinyoung. Once again he wonders if this is a typical fairy trait or if this is just the very special effect Mark has on him. “It's crazy, you know? Just minutes ago I was perfectly happy. I was so enthusiastic about everything that's going on in my life these days. It seems like since you entered it, everything went in the right direction. And now everything runs smoothly, but the main reason for my happiness will disappear from my life again. So I admit, now I have less problems, but what have I truly gained when you're gone?”

“Jinyoung.” His voice cracks. All the sadness which Jinyoung already felt crashing down on him reflects in the fairy's eyes. To see Mark suffer hurts even twice as much. “Believe me, I want to stay. I don't want to lose you. You make me incredibly happy. I never was this attached to.... basically anyone. Besides Jackson I mean, but that's obviously different. I can't imagine being without you, trying to continue my life, well knowing what it feels like to be happy but also knowing that I won't ever be happy again.”

“This can't happen! Life can't be so cruel to us, Mark. Is there really no way?” Jinyoung whispers, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“Yesterday, Jackson and I did some research. We already low-key asked around before. And yesterday we tried to confirm some of our researches and theories to find a possibility to still come to see you and Jaebeom.”

“And?”

“Either no fairy ever tried something like this or they didn't leave any traces behind. Anyhow..... we couldn't find anything useful. We're absolutely powerless.” His last words aren't more than a fateful whisper, and the cause for another onslaught of sobs shaking Jinyoung.

Mark immediately tightens his arms around him, pulling him into his chest. One hand comes up to run through the hair at the back of his head. But even Mark's mysterious powers of solace reach their limits when Jinyoung once again struggles to deal with this new reality.

It takes a long while until he has calmed down. It feels like he shed buckets full of tears, and they all found a new home in Mark's pink t-shirt. Jinyoung is resting against his shoulder, staring at the dark patch he left on his chest. His emotions trashed around like a blind beast and now they are tired and jaded. His head throbs with a dull ache. Even his voice sounds tired when he eventually asks, “Why did you even start to flirt with me? The shower incident, this intense eye contact all of the time, all these pretty smiles, why were you even starting it when you knew from the beginning that we can't have a future together?”

He slowly lifts his head to look up at the fairy boy.

“I'm sorry, I truly am, Jinyoung,” Mark murmurs, looking down at him with big, soft eyes. A hue of light blue still sparkles in his wet lashes. “But in the beginning it was just fun for me. I never was attracted to someone before. So I was curious how it would feel when I go further, and I pushed my luck a little. Also you were so focused on the kids and Jaehyun and the bullies, that I never expected you to even truly see me as something else than just your wish provider. But my curiosity turned into infatuation and attachment, and you somehow were able to let me into your life, despite it being so unruly. And then it was already way too late to stop things.” Mark cradles the side of Jinyoung's face while he looks at him, with all the love in the world shining in his eyes. “Please be honest, if you could go back in time, would you want to undo it? Do you wish to never have fallen in love with me?”

Jinyoung looks into these beautiful doe eyes, which he came to love so much. The uncertainty in Mark's voice almost breaks the rest of his already damaged heart. Jinyoung remembers that he asked Jaebeom the same question about Jackson. And he remembers his best friend's answer and has to agree. It's a difficult question. A difficult situation. It would have been easier, but now that he tasted the happiness with the fairy boy, he never wants to unlearn it. And now when he thinks about it, Jaebeom's words really hit home. Because Jinyoung as well wouldn't ever wish to forget about this love for Mark. Never.

“No,” he answers full of confidence. “Our love, we, all of this was supposed to happen, because it's right and it's beautiful. We belong together. No matter what, forgetting all of this would be the cruelest punishment of them all.”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” Mark agrees, a partly sad abut mostly relieved smile appearing on his lips.

“And I simply refuse to believe that this is supposed to be the end!”

( ﾟдﾟ)

It's a shame, but the majority of their last three days together, they spent moping around. At least that was the case for Jinyoung and Jaebeom. As expected, his best friend took the news equally bad. And while they were busy being sad, their fairies were busy consoling them, despite being just as sad.

When Jinyoung woke up at night he discovered that Mark was gone. He was on the verge of a panic attack, frantically whispering his name for him to come back, believing that Mark was taken from him even before his wish was granted. But the blue sparkly light appeared next to him immediately. When he saw Jinyoung being so hysterical, the fairy boy apologized again and again while he hugged him back to sleep. Apparently Jackson and Mark used the nights to find a solution, to pore over old scripts in the fairy library and speak to some trustworthy senior fairies, hoping to obtain new information. But progress wasn't really made.

And so the last night before the talent show approaches. This last night he wouldn't let Mark go, and Mark also wouldn't leave him for anything in the world. This last night they try to face their fate, together. This last night they use to say goodbye to each other.

Jinyoung clings to Mark as if his life would depend on it. Touching. There is so much touching. Jinyoung's fingers travel up and down Mark's body, trying to engrave every line, every dip and every plane deep in his mind. Jinyoung chants love confessions in hushed whispers against his chest. Hot breath against hot skin. Frantic kisses on Mark's swollen lips, against his jaw, down his neck, along his shoulders, everywhere he can reach. And storms of shuddering sobs against his heart. Silent crying laced with pathetic whimpers punish Jinyoung with a sore throat.

And Mark is just holding Jinyoung, letting him have his way with him, enveloping him in strong arms, safely. Always safely. And he listens to every incoherent statement and every whisper. He tries to soothe Jinyoung's pain, not even giving up after hours of unsuccessful attempts. Mark does his best to stay strong for him, to keep Jinyoung from losing it entirely.

And even though Jinyoung fights sleep with everything he has, eventually he's so exhausted, his eyes so heavy from all the shed tears, that he eventually drifts into a fitful and restless sleep.

The following morning, everything just gets worse. The short period of sleep wasn't enough to give him even remotely enough energy which he needs to survive this day. Everything hurts. His eyes are burning, his head is pounding, he feels nauseous and dizzy.

Mark looks desperate in his own, very quiet way. When he glances back at Jinyoung, the look on his face is so apologetic. Though he knows it's not the fairy's fault that things are like they are. That life, the universe, everything is against them. He wants to tell Mark, but he can't. He can't find any words the entire morning, while they get ready to go to school. So they spend their time in silence and just find some comfort in the other's soothing presence.

It's crazy. Countless of times, Jinyoung imagined how the day of the talent show would go down. He pictured everything in his mind. And every time he thought about it, it was a happy day. But now that the day has come, nothing is further from his mind than happiness. Now he wishes the day wouldn't even exist.

They are early, the first ones in the practice room. The kids would arrive in about 30 minutes to their final rehearsal before the talent show. For their last group talk, Jinyoung arranges the chairs in a circle and puts a Totoro key chain on every single one of them. He bought them a while ago. They are supposed to be little lucky charms for the kids, who became so important to him.

Mark watches him in silence. When Jinyoung is done and he looks back at him, he sees how hard Mark tries to muster up a smile. But the pain in his eyes speaks volumes. And Jinyoung simply knows what is going on inside of him. They don't need words to describe it. They feel the same way.

Jinyoung walks towards him, walks into Mark's waiting arms, and kisses his lips softly.

“It's crazy somehow,” Jinyoung whispers against his mouth. “This one day holds so much importance in so many different ways.”

“Yeah,” Mark croaks. “Let's try to focus on the good things. You came so far-”

“ _We_ did.”

“Yeah, _we_ did.” This time Mark's smile is real. “To see the kids grow and outdo themselves every day anew, to really get to know them and laugh with them, that really feels so damn special.”

“I know,” Jinyoung says. A tiny smile also creeps on his face, thinking about the countless memories that he neatly stored in the pages of his mind during the past few weeks.

“This was the happiest time in my whole long fairy life. I want to genuinely thank you, Jinyoung. Thank you for making it possible for me to experience these things, even though I was a bit reluctant at first.”

“You were freaking distrustful. I thought you really hated my guts in the beginning,” Jinyoung snickers, playfully tightening his arms around him.

“I know,” Mark chimes in. “Sorry for being so problematic. But I'm glad it didn't take me too long to see what your intentions were and what kind of a person you truly are. So yeah, thank you for letting me be part of this, thank you for letting me get to know you, thank you for being you, Jinyoung.”

Mark softly brushes Jinyoung's bangs from his eyes. The fairy boy leans in, kissing Jinyoung's cheek before traveling down to kiss his lips. And all of this is so tender and intimate, that Jinyoung can't stop another tear sliding down his face. He thought he used up all of them last night. But apparently for Mark he always has tears left.

As soon as Mark catches on to it, worry moves back into his gaze. Quickly, he lifts a hand to his cheek and gently wipes the wetness away.

“Mark?”

“Hmmm? What is it, baby?”

“My wish was that you need to help making the kids win. So what if they don't win? Will I get another wish from you?”

“You heard them, right? They are doing amazing. And with Minnie and her minions out of the picture, there is barely any competition for them. It's a safe bet.”

Jinyoung bites down on his bottom lip. More tears are suddenly flooding his eyes. “But what if.... what if I fuck this up... somehow?”

Mark looks at him with knitted eyebrows, obviously trying to make sense of Jinyoung's words. “What are you talking about? How would- Wait, you mean sabotaging them? Make them lose on purpose?” The fairy boy looks genuinely shocked. “No, Jinyoung stop! You won't. You can't. Don't pretend you actually could take this from them, because I know you only for a couple of weeks now, but I know for sure that you don't have the heart to do this. You're not that person.”

“But... but...” His quivering voice doesn't allow him to speak.

“Jinyoung, baby,” Mark softly says as he cups Jinyoung's face in his warm hands. “They only have _you_. They _believe_ in you. You're their superhero.”

“But... _you_ are _my_ superhero. Who is going to advocate for me when you're gone? Whose shoulder can I lean on? Who is going to make me smile when I feel fucking sad? I know it's selfish, but I only have you. I _need_ you, Mark,” Jinyoung pleads, looking back at him with round, wet eyes.

“Six weeks ago you were doing amazing without me. You can do this again,” Mark tries to cheer him up. It's so cute, but also so very futile that Jinyoung has to restrain himself from scoffing out loud.

“You call this amazing? Being beaten up by some jerks every other day is _amazing_?”

“You know what I-”

“Yeah Mark, I know what you want to say. Yes, I did it to protect others. And no, I don't regret it. And yes, I kind of was surviving. But was it amazing? Was I happy? After I know what life with you feels like, I can't go back to living without you. I just can't,” he sobs.

“Jinyoung, you're the strongest human.... _person_ I ever met. You will get through this. You're strong enough for this.”

“But I'm tired of being strong on my own all of the time! I can't do this anymore. I need to be allowed to feel weak sometimes, but I only can do that with you by my side. Without you.... I'm done for.”

Mark looks at him for a long moment, watching the tears continue to stream down his cheeks, how they also drip down his own fingers as he still holds Jinyoung's face securely in his hands. He catches sight of all the raw emotions and the unvarnished desperation. And Jinyoung sees the exact moment when also the fairy's strength reaches the breaking point. His handsome face twists in sadness and sorrow as light blue shimmering tears start to fall from his lashes.

“I understand everything you say. And I am so, so sorry. Believe me when I say that living without you is a punishment for me. It's not easy for me either, Jinyoung. And while I know that this will be the doom for us, are we really ready to throw away the kids's efforts, their hard work, their chances to gain more self-esteem, their chances to get a taste of success and acceptance for the first time?”

Jinyoung screws his eyes shut, knowing what he will say now, knowing how it will affect their lives.

“We would regret it, right?” he chokes out.

“Yeah, we would,” Mark whispers. “Also I'm not really sure what would happen if they don't win. There wasn't ever a case when I failed to grant a wish. So it would be a double risk because nobody knows if you would get a second one, or nothing at all, or another fairy-”

“I don't want another fairy!”

“I know, baby. I know.” Mark pulls him closer, letting him cry into his shoulder. “I'm sorry I don't have a solution.”

“I know,” Jinyoung murmurs.

They cry, and hug, and kiss. But knowing that their time together is limited, they both try their best to calm down and look presentable. The kids are not supposed to know about how awful they actually feel.

And soon the group of kids enters the room. Everyone is excited and jittery with energy and joyful anticipation. Everyone but Jaebeom. He knows what this day means to his best friend and his fairy boyfriend. When he enters the room, he darts a sympathetic glance at them, well aware that he shares the same fate with them.

As expected, the kids are doing great in their last rehearsal. And just like Mark said, there is no doubt that they will win today. Jinyoung is genuinely happy for them. When he looks into their expectant faces, he knows that at least this feeling of pride can't be taken from him.

They are happy about Jinyoung's little presents, quickly promising that they will take their lucky charms with them on stage later. This makes him smile. And it makes Mark smile as well. And everything could be so perfect, but he knows only too well that it isn't.

It takes all of his willpower to give an entertaining and motivational speech at the end of their last session. But he somehow pulls it off and is able to send them into the contest with a lot of confidence under their belts.

The next few hours fly by. He's distracted by small organizational issues, by people who ask him questions about schedules, by all the loud voices in the auditorium. It's just a big mess of noise and color, too much for Jinyoung's dazed brain to process. He's simply functioning.

They watch the performances, most of them don't leave much of an impression. And finally when their kids enter the stage, Mark envelops him in a warm backhug. The fairy boy puts his chin on Jinyoung's shoulder and whispers, “This is the result of all the hard work. This is your success, Jinyoung.”

The kids are doing so outstandingly great that once again tears spring to his eyes, but for a very different reason this time. The students in the auditorium are as surprised as they are enthralled by the group. Nobody would have gave them credit for such a performance before. The kids are rewarded with thunderous applause from the delighted audience. The amazement and happiness in the kids's faces is Jinyoung's reward. That's all he needs.

And what Mark predicted earlier comes true. Their kids win the talent show with flying colors. And to top it all off, this time there aren't even people around who openly begrudge them their deserved win. Yes, Jinyoung thinks, so many things changed in the past few weeks and everyone in their team made their own contribution. But without Mark, everything would have been so much more difficult.

Both boys make their way backstage and wrap their elated kids into hugs, shower them with praises and pat their heads. The kids can't really believe what happened out there on stage. It's endearing how overwhelmed they are.

After a while, Mark guides Jinyoung to a quiet corner, leaving the others to chatter among themselves.

“It's.... it's time to go,” Mark breathes.

“Already?” Jinyoung panics. He refused to really think about it before, but he vaguely expected that he could keep Mark at least until the end of the day. But frankly speaking, his wish was successfully granted so technically there is no need to keep Mark around any longer.

“I'm afraid so.” The pain on Mark's face almost makes it unbearable to look at him. “I probably should say goodbye to the kids now.”

“Oh my god.... I've completely forgotten that you will also vanish from _their_ lives. Fuck!”

“Yeah.... fuck.”

“What will you tell them?”

“That my family moves away tomorrow and I didn't want to tell them earlier because it would have distracted them from their performance?”

“Good choice.” Jinyoung nods his head with a tight-lipped smile.

Mark is just about to join them when Jaebeom suddenly speed-walks towards them.

“The kids will have a meal now to celebrate,” Jaebeom explains in hushed tones as he grabs both their wrists and starts to drag them away. “I made up an excuse, said we can't join them. They are sad but they will survive. I gave them money for the restaurant. That appeased them. And we go to Jinyoung's house now and will meet Jackson there. Quick! He said they won't give Mark much more time here.”

“What is going on?” Mark questions.

“He says he has a plan. He says it is something you discussed before but decided against doing it. He says he changed his mind.”

The look in Mark's face hardens as Jaebeom's words sink in. Jinyoung has no idea what is going on. But if there's the slightest chance for them to stay together, he's willing to do everything.

( ﾟдﾟ)

“Jackson?” Mark asks as soon as they stumble into Jinyoung's room. And gladly the purple light and following glitter cloud appears in an instant. The fairy boy emerges from the sparkles and lands on the carpet with a soft thud. “What is going on?”

“What the heck, Mark! How can you resist the calling?” The purple fairy pulls a face as a shiver seems to travel down his body.

“The what?” Jinyoung asks.

“They are calling me back to the fairy world,” Mark calmly explains, interrupting himself only for a moment to change into his fairy form. “Since the minute the talent show ended, they are tugging on my mind, urging me to come back.”

“I don't know how you do it,” Jackson states and shakes his head in disbelief. “It's so strong that even I feel like getting teleported right back, even though the calling isn't meant for me. Guess that's some real Graced One magic you're pulling.”

“I'm not gonna lie, it's getting more difficult by the minute,” Mark admits with a wry smile.

“God, can they chill?” Jinyoung spits.

“Technically my mission is done and they have every right to call me back.”

“I don't want to hear this!” Like a stubborn child, Jinyoung clings to Mark's arm and hugs it close to him. He's well aware that he can't compete with fairy magic, but it still feels like something he simply has to do.

“Jackson, why are we here?” Mark asks, his face darkening.

“You know what we talked about-”

“We decided against it!”

“Mark,” Jackson says, being unusually serious. “I want to try it.”

“What is it? If there is a chance, isn't it good to try?” Jinyoung asks.

“Well, we talked about the option that Jaebeom could use his wish to turn both of us into humans,” Mark explains.

“Is it really possible?” Jaebeom screeches.

“Please, oh my god, _please_ ,” Jinyoung chimes in, just as excited and hopeful as his best friend.

“We don't really know. But it's not expressly prohibited by our standard business terms. The thing is that we did some research and never could find a case when a fairy tried it. So we have no idea if it's possible. And if fairies dare the unknown, accidents can happen,” Mark says firmly.

“But it could turn out well,” Jackson adds in a forced cheery voice.

“Jackson!” Mark whines. “I don't know why you even consider this option. You _love_ being a fairy. You _always_ loved it.”

“But you don't. You never did.”

“This is not about me. It's about you. This risk is higher for you than for me. Plus you would lose something you love to do.”

“Mark,” he says again, eyes and voice soft. Jinyoung lets go of Mark's arm when Jackson approaches to embrace the blue fairy boy. “Yes, I love being a fairy. But now I've found something..... _someone_ I love more.” Jinyoung glances at his best friend. A timid smile spreads across Jaebeom's face. “And I know you would love to escape the fairy world completely. It's understandable. It never treated you well. And whichever path I choose, I want to walk it together with my best friend. This is a chance to make four people incredibly happy. Isn't it worth trying?” Jackson pulls his head away from Mark's shoulder to look into his eyes.

“You always do the most reckless things for me,” the blue fairy boy snorts, eyes glistening with fresh tears.

“No, this is for _us_.”

“Uhm, what does this mean when you say 'accidents can happen', and that the risk for Jackson is higher?” Jaebeom interjects.

The fairies pull away from their embrace to look at both humans with serious expressions.

“Let me explain. I will grant the wish, but I need Mark's Graced One magic to back me up. Such a big thing is impossible to pull off for a simple fairy alone.”

“So Mark will grant another wish?” Jinyoung asks, astounded.

“It's not like that. There is this major difference between simple fairies and Graced Ones. Simple fairies can solely use magic to grant the respective wish for the respective human. They can't use magic outside this concept. But as a Graced One, Mark can use magic _to a certain extent_ even when it doesn't serve the goal of granting a wish to his respective human. For instance all the magic Mark did for you to get rid of the bullies, to protect you and the kids, a normal fairy couldn't have done it, because that wasn't part of your initial wish. Only a Graced One would be capable of using so much magic.”

“Oh..... so we really were a good match right from the start,” Jinyoung points out. It always was supposed to be Mark. It was fate. Not any other fairy could have changed his life for the better like he did, Jinyoung is sure of it.

“Nobody ever doubted that, cute human,” Jackson says and smiles at him. “So I will fulfill the wish and Mark will back me up with extra magic. And then we hope for the best. But as a Graced One, Mark has better chances to....” Jackson's voice trails off.

“To what?” Jaebeom urges.

Mark's hand finds his wrist to massage it. Even though the blue fairy chooses to let Jackson explain, after seeing this gesture Jinyoung already knows that they won't like what's coming next. Jackson's tongue swipes across his bottom lip before he continues to talk. “Mark has better chances to survive, in case anything goes wrong.”

Jaebeom looks just as shocked as Jinyoung feels. Since his best friend can't seem to find words, Jinyoung swallows and asks, “There's really the possibility that.... that you die?”

“As we told you, we couldn't find information about such a wish before, so anything could happen. The unknown is always a risk, but it's also a chance. Nobody knows, but we will find out,” the purple fairy announces.

“You really want to do it? You're absolutely sure?” Mark once again seeks his consent.

“Yes, I really want us to become humans to be with our loved ones.” Another soft smile appears on Jackson's face. “Also Jaebeom's wish is about to expire, so we shouldn't let it go to waste.”

Mark bites down on his lip when he slowly nods. “Then it's decided. We will try.”

They take another minute to split into pairs and exchange a few words. Jinyoung hopes it won't be a goodbye, but nobody knows for sure. So better safe than sorry.

“I love you,” Mark whispers. He gently cradles Jinyoung's cheek in his palm before he leans in to kiss his lips.

“I love you, too,” Jinyoung breaths against his mouth, as he gets lost in those excessive sparkles in the fairy's dark eyes. “Please come back to me, Mark.”

“Always! I always will. I'll try everything to be by your side, no matter how this is going. But you need to believe in me, in us.”

“I will. I always will.”

They kiss each other slowly, savoring the taste of the other, trying to engrave each little detail in their minds. Jinyoung wants to hide in this kiss forever. The funny idea of just keep kissing Mark pops into his mind, because nothing can happen as long as they are together. But it's a stupid child's idea. Jinyoung gets reminded of that when Mark suddenly gasps for air and clutches the sides of his head.

“Mark! What's going on?”

“The calling,” Mark pants. “It gets stronger. I can't resist for much longer.”

“Okay,” Jinyoung whispers. He looks over to Jackson and Jaebeom. The fairy is kissing every single one of Jaebeom's knuckles, breathing hushed promises against them. Jinyoung would have hated to interrupt, but gladly both boys are turning towards them now, seemingly done their little ceremony. A worried look immediately appears on Jackson's face after spotting Mark's condition.

“Okay, come here.” Jackson grabs Mark, removing him from Jinyoung's arms, and steers him to the window. A feeling of emptiness and coldness seizes Jinyoung. The desire to have Mark near screams for attention. “It's better if you step back as far as possible,” Jackson says to the human boys. Jinyoung and Jaebeom press themselves against the opposite wall. They are both observing the fairies, but Jaebeom's hand blindly searches for Jinyoung's next to him. And he's glad to take that hand, to have something to hold onto. “Okay, Markie. You're still good?” the purple fairy asks.

Mark already convulses in pain. Probably nobody can understand how exhausting it must be to fight this battle against powers of the universe. But he pulls himself together. The blue fairy straightens himself up and nods. “Let's get it, my best friend.”

Jackson smiles back at him. “Let's get it, Markie.”

Mark steps behind Jackson and wraps his arms and wings around him, probably a precaution, an attempt to protect him from whatever might happen next.

“Jaebeom,” Jackson says softly. “What's your wish?”

Jaebeom clears his throat. His hand is about to squish Jinyoung's to a pulp. “I wish that all the fairies present in this room will become humans.”

It happens very fast. No noise, just a huge explosion of purple and blue glitter. The whole room is a cloud of sparkles. They actually have to pull up their shirts over their mouths and noses in order to avoid breathing them in. Very slowly the sparkles disappear. As usual they don't leave any traces. And when everything is gone, Jinyoung sees that the fairy boys disappeared along with the glitter.

Both of them stumble towards the window to examine the spot where their boyfriends stood only seconds ago. There are no hints that any magic has happened here in this room. Just the flower heads of a single blue rose and a single purple hydrangea remained on Jinyoung's carpet.

“Where are they? What does this mean?” Jinyoung whines, craving for answers immediately.

They pick up the flowers, looking for any clues. But there is nothing, just two flowers from their two fairy boys.

“What do you think? Did it work?” Jaebeom asks quietly.

“I really don't know. I hope so. But why did they leave the flowers?”

“Maybe it's a sign for shedding their fairy forms?”

“That actually sounds plausible,” Jinyoung confirms. “But where did they go? What is going on?”

“I don't know,” Jaebeom mumbles. “But Mark needed some preparation time back then to create his human form, right? Maybe it's the same now. Maybe they just need to prepare some things for their human lives?”

The thoughts in Jinyoung's head are all jumbled up. He only wants to have Mark back in his arms, no matter how. So he's glad Jaebeom is providing sensible suggestions of what could have happened to their dear fairy boys. “Yeah,” he murmurs, “that might be the case. So..... we have to wait?”

“I don't think we have another choice right now.”

Jinyoung slowly nods his head. Only now he realizes that he not once teared his gaze away from the blue rose since he picked it up.

( ﾟдﾟ)

They waited two more days. 48 hours of nervous anticipation. But nothing changed. The fairy boys didn't come back. Then they started to search. They developed a range of wild theories to explain what might have happened. Maybe the fairy boys were abandoned in a rural area and now they didn't know how to get back to them. After all, they don't have magic powers to rely on anymore, so how would they find their way around the human world now? So they kept searching, going for long walks and challenging hikes. But they never found their boys.

They also looked them up online. They searched their names, but they also looked for reports about strange happenings in the country, since nobody knows how they might have come back to the human world. But all their work was fruitless.

And while Jinyoung was highly motivated and driven by the yearning for Mark, he had to face a growing sense of hopelessness. At first it was only a quiet little voice in the back of his head. But as the time went by, it became louder, louder and louder, until the day it was screaming at Jinyoung: WHAT IF THEY DIDN'T SURVIVE?

Never hurt anything as much as the moment when Jinyoung truly considered the possibility of not seeing Mark ever again. Let alone the dreadful thought about his potential passing away. The notion that his pretty blue fairy boy might not even be able to live on as a magical being, just because Jinyoung was too greedy, breaks him in more ways than he ever thought would be possible.

Mark said he should believe in him. He said he would try everything to come back to him. But believing is so hard when there are so many things pointing to another truth.

Now Jinyoung lies in his bed, staring at the ceiling in his dim room, thinking about how beautiful the blue sparkles looked every time Mark laughed. Are the sparkles still existing somewhere? Or have they been extinguished forever? All the memories are helping and hurting him at the same time. It feels like a part of his heart just vanished. And without this missing piece, his heart wouldn't be able to beat faster than the absolute necessary minimum, ever again.

There's a knock at his door. Jinyoung knows it's his mom. She's coming into his room for the fifth time today. Or was it the sixth? Jinyoung doesn't really know. Days just blend into one another without making any sense. It's just one vast sea of misery.

“Sweetie, how are you doing today?” she asks as she peeks into the room.

Jinyoung doesn't answer. She comes in and closes the door behind herself. He expected something like this to happen eventually, an inquiry. His mom takes a seat on the edge of his bed. Even in the half-light he can see the look of concern on her face. “Sweetie, you aren't okay, are you?”

“Not really,” he whispers.

“Has it something to do with Mark?”

Upon hearing his name, he presses the blue rose in his fist closer to his chest. “Yeah.”

“Why doesn't he come over anymore?”

“He moved away,” Jinyoung croaks. Quickly, he looks back up at the ceiling because he can't bear to see all the sorrow in his mother's eyes.

“Oh..... so maybe you can contact him via the internet? Or video calls?”

“It's not that easy. He moved far.... far away. Too far.”

His mom is quiet for some time. So quiet that he almost forgets she's there at all.

“I see,” she eventually says. He's thankful that she doesn't try to dig deeper. “So what now?”

“Nothing. Just nothing.”

“Can I do anything to make you feel better?”

“I don't think anyone can,” he answers, his voice monotone.

“Sweetie, tell us when you need us.... for anything, even if it's just talking or listening, okay?”

“Oki.” He can't keep it together any longer. Hot tears well up in his eyes, threatening to fall. Once more he's glad that it's so dim in his room.

“Good,” she says and squeezes his arm gently. “I'm going to bring you something to eat.”

“I'm not hungry,” he whispers, so that his quivering voice wouldn't give him away.

“I know you aren't. I bring you something anyway.”

She leaves and closes the door. Now the tears are freely streaming down his face. He suppresses the miserable sobs until he's sure his mom reached the stairs. He can't do this. It just hurts too much without Mark. He has no idea how to manage from this point on.

Jaebeom said to him that he overcame so many obstacles before, he will somehow deal with this as well. But this is different. Losing Mark isn't a mere obstacle. It's killing him inside.

So if anyone thinks that the darkest times of Jinyoung's life are in the past, they are wrong.


	12. 2.1

“JINYOUNG! HURRY UP!“ Jaebeom shouts from the other room.

“YEEEES! JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES!”

They planned to buy some things in the household appliance store near by, after they unpacked their boxes. But he has no idea why Jaebeom is stressing so much.

They just moved into their very first apartment together. Their first year of university was good, but the burden of constantly commuting between home and university was plainly annoying. So they decided to move out for their second year, and managed to get a place a lot closer to their university. It's the start of their semester break now so they have enough time to turn this apartment into their new home.

To be honest, their parents have their doubts about this project. Especially Jinyoung's mom and dad are concerned. Jinyoung gets it. They still want to keep an eye on him, especially what happened three years ago. He can't even imagine how much it must have scared them, seeing him hurt like this. But they aren't teenagers anymore, so both boys persuaded their parents eventually to be at least allowed to try. To show how good they can handle the situation and how responsible they are, Jaebeom and Jinyoung agreed on finding jobs during the semester break. It's a way to prove that they are capable of partly funding themselves.

“JINYOUNG, ARE YOU DONE YET?”

“CHILL! ARE YOU WORRIED THE PASTA STRAINERS WILL SELL OUT?”

“SHUT UP! JUST GET READY, OKAY?”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes while he unpacks his last box of clothes. He hopes that isn't an indicator for how how good their living together will work from now on. Though his best friend is probably just stressed from the unusual exertion of moving houses.

Jaebeom really was Jinyoung's anchor in the past few years. It was a difficult time, whereas the word 'difficult' a sheer understatement is. However, Jaebeom never strayed from his side. They were best friends before, but the experience of having to deal with the tragic loss of a loved person brought them even closer together.

Despite coping with his own woes, his best friend tried to be a role model for Jinyoung with all his might. He tried to keep his head up and be positive about the future, just to pull Jinyoung out of his personal darkness. It worked semi good, but Jinyoung is sure that without him, he wouldn't have made it through it at all.

Jaebeom dated a lot after they lost their fairy boys. He said it would be the best method to get over Jackson. Jinyoung needed a lot more time until he even could think about getting close to a person who wasn't Mark. He was always wondering how easy it seemed for Jaebeom. But Jinyoung also knows that he put Jackson's purple hydrangea in a little jar and stares at it every night before going to sleep. He might not admit it, but Jinyoung knows, even after those three years, he isn't over Jackson. And he can't blame him. He himself takes Mark's blue rose with him everywhere he goes. He keeps it in a little zipper pouch and puts it every day anew in his pocket. And despite the rough treatment, the rose doesn't look crumpled. It looks as strong and vivid as it was on the fateful day Mark disappeared. After all it's a magical item, Jinyoung concluded a long time ago. And it's the only proof that Mark Fairybutton wasn't just a fever dream.

There was this one time when Jinyoung went to the beach. When he came out of the water and checked the pocket of his left-behind shorts for the precious memento, he couldn't find it. He immediately started to panic. Crying and blabbering, he desperately dug through the sand with his bare hands. He was close to a nervous breakdown. Jaebeom tried to calm him down while he helped him to search for the blue rose. In the end they found the zipper pouch complete with the valuable flower at the bottom of their beach bag. It must have fallen out of the pocket of his shorts when he stuffed them inside along with the rest of their clothes. Jinyoung was never before so relieved in his life. But even after he had found the rose and clutched it in his sandy hands, he couldn't stop crying and trembling for another half an hour.

He still remembers Jaebeom's worried eyes on that day. His best friend tried to convince him to at least start to leave the blue rose at home while going out. He called it a temporary separation. Apparently it was supposed to make him feel better. But Jinyoung wouldn't take words of advice from somebody who still smells at every piece of cheese and looks at it with a nostalgic smile and watery eyes before he eats it.

It's probably not healthy what they both are doing, the way they keep hanging onto the memories of their fairies so dearly. But it's nothing Jinyoung has under control, even if he wanted to.

When Jinyoung started university last year, he decided to try being a normal student. That included to let go of old feelings and grief, to be open-minded, to try new things and to give chances. He met new people. He tried dating. He had sex with different people. But it was more exhausting than it was exciting. Nothing and no one moved his heart. And it shouldn't have surprised him. How is he supposed to give his heart to somebody, if it doesn't belong to him anymore? Mark took the most important part with him and Jinyoung can't seem to get it back on his own. The unexplained events, the unknown fates of the fairies, it's something that weighs heavy on Jinyoung's mind. Time doesn't seem to be a remedy for it.

So he keeps believing. Mark asked him to put his trust in him, and he's still doing it. For however long it takes.

“Park Jinyoung, you own like 20 things. How long can it take to unpack 20 things?” Jaebeom asks him as he appears in the doorway to his room. “Ugh... I see. You zoned out again.”

“I didn't,” Jinyoung lies and scrambles to his feet, a petulant pout adorning his face.

“Sure.” Jaebeom rolls his eyes. His crossed arms drop to his sides. “So are you ready to go now?”

“Of course, I was born ready. Let's go!” Jinyoung just grabs the zipper pouch to stuff it into his back pocket and then squeezes past his friend. “Aren't you coming? Why do I always have to wait for you?”

Jaebeom lets out a tired sounding sigh behind him. “It's day one and I'm already questioning if living together was a good decision.”

“It was the best decision. You will see.” Jinyoung flashes him a wide smile while he holds the door open for him.

“We will see.”

(*≧ω≦*)

“By the way, Hwayoung asked me to ask you, if it's okay for her to drop by tomorrow and bring some house-warming present, or if you would prefer it to not have her in the house at all,” Jaebeom murmurs as they both examine the array of kitchen tools in the household appliance store.

“She has apologized to me for about 200 times for her nasty high school self. I'm not mad anymore and she knows it. Can't she ever let it go?”

“She's still ashamed. She will apologize until the end of time. Just get used to it already.”

“Fine. And of course she can drop by. Let's buy her favorite tea or something, so she will feel welcomed.”

“You're still such a good person, Jinyoung. So sweet and cute and considerate,” Jaebeom coos.

“I'm not standing here and listen to you making fun of me,” he huffs and saunters over to a shelf endowed with colorful egg cups.

“I'm not making fun of you. It's the truth,” his best friend murmurs, still marveling at the kitchen timer which is shaped like a black cat.

Jinyoung doesn't respond and instead picks up one of the egg cups. It looks like a rose. Quickly his eyes sweep across the products. He puts the egg cup back down on the shelf after he realized that the only available colors are yellow and red.

But his attention is snatched when he hears a familiar voice close by.

“Let's just grab the big pack of white napkins and head out. Lynn will kill us, if we're late on the first day.”

And while Jinyoung still tries to remember who this voice belongs to, a second voice answers. And this voice, he won't ever forget.

“It's not our fault that she doesn't have enough napkins in stock for _her_ sandwich shop on the _first_ day. She should be happy we're running this errand for her before our shift starts. But the dragon lady doesn't know any gratefulness.”

“It's the opening day. There probably were a thousand things she had to take care of. Cut her some slack, Mark.”

And now he got his confirmation. The voices together with the mentioned name, it must be them. For the first time in three years Jinyoung's heartbeat increases noticeably, even wildly. He takes a look around to find the sources of the voices. Only seconds later, two guys emerge from behind a shelf. And the first thing that comes to his mind is to crouch down and hide behind the shelf with the egg cups.

He watches both of them coming closer from his hiding place, and what he sees blows his mind. It's Jackson, as blond and good-looking as ever, but completely free of any fairy features. And beside him walks Mark, human Mark, pulling off an undercut style with his chocolate brown hair and looking absolutely alive and gorgeous. Both seem to be a little more mature, less boyish than they were back then. Did they actually age?

He can't even remember how often he whispered Mark's name into the darkness, always hoping that his fairy boy would still somehow magically appear. And now here, on an ordinary day, in an ordinary place, he suddenly shows up right in front of him, as if nothing had happened.

“What are you doing down there?” Jaebeom suddenly pops up by his side. The look on his face tells Jinyoung that his best friend thinks he has a screw loose.

“Psst!” Jinyoung hisses and pulls him down next to him.

“What the-”

“Look over there and try not to freak out,” Jinyoung whispers.

Jaebeom's gaze follows the given direction. His jaw drops and his eyes grow wide.

“What is.... what is going on?” he chokes out.

“I don't know but... let's observe for a while.”

Since his best friend is obviously just as overwhelmed with the situation as Jinyoung is, they both keep hiding behind the egg cups and watch the boys digging for something in the bargain box.

“I just say she has no right to complain when we're late because we execute her order,” Mark says and shrugs his shoulders. This little shrug is everything to Jinyoung. Hearing his voice is everything. Seeing the twinkle in his doe eyes is everything. He's so in love. He feels like a heart shaped cloud would pick him up and carry him over to Mark, if he wouldn't hold onto that shelf.

“You know she will complain. She always does.”

“Because she's a dragon.”

“And because you tend to be late. Often.”

“Me? You're just too slow, Jackson,” Mark says with a cheeky grin on his lips.

“What the heck? You were too late to pick me up earlier. And don't give me your time-is-a-floating-concept bullshit. I'm tired of it.”

The memory of Mark bringing up exactly this excuse takes Jinyoung's breath away for a long moment.

“Yeah yeah... I know I'm sometimes late. But she is also way too strict, this dragon! What is she even expecting for this measly pay? Oh I forgot, unlike you, I don't get paid at all.”

“I still can't believe your parents forced you to work for her during the entire semester break. That's kind of cruel.”

“Right? I deserve so much better.”

“But in a way you do get paid. I mean, if you help her out in her first couple weeks after opening, your parents will keep giving you money throughout your education. Let me reconsider. I don't pity you,” Jackson snickers.

“Thank you for approving my family's blackmailing method so graciously.”

“Whatever. You can't get out of this anyway. Also Lynn would totally bite your head off, if you'd try.”

“That damn bully dragon!” Mark grouses. “Oki, here are 500 napkins for [₩](https://www.dict.cc/?s=%E2%82%A9) 2,000. That's the cheapest I see here. I hope it won't blow her budget,” Mark says, words dripping with sarcasm.

“Alright. Let's go.”

“They are leaving,” Jaebeom hisses. “We need to do something!”

Jinyoung is still enchanted by Mark's casual use of his trademark 'oki'. But Jaebeom is right. Now it's not the time to be shell-shocked. He straightens up and also yanks Jaebeom up with him.

“WAIT!” Jinyoung yells across the store. His brain is completely running wild.

But the effect is as expected. Admittedly, they have gained way more attention than Jinyoung was aiming for, but among the people who turned their heads are also their targets. Jinyoung leaves his hiding spot behind the shelf and pulls Jaebeom along as they approach the confused looking boys.

Jinyoung's common sense is switched off. The closer they walk towards them, the more details of Mark's face he can see, the wider Jinyoung's smile becomes. Eventually he lets go of Jaebeom to wrap his arms around Mark and bury his face in his shoulder. A heavy wave of joy and comfort washes around him. Mark is warm and he feels exactly like back then and he smells like flowers and cotton.

“I missed you so, _so_ much. You have no idea,” he mumbles into his neck. “I did what you told me. I believed in you. I always did.”

There is a long moment of silence. Jinyoung is so focused on Mark and his own emotions that he doesn't notice it at first, but eventually he realizes that there aren't arms around his body to hug him back.

“Erm... sorry? I think you got the wrong guy.”

Slowly Jinyoung opens his eyes and pulls away. He looks at Mark with almost no distance between them, blinking at him. “No, I don't?”

But Mark's face changes into a frown while he takes a step back, away from Jinyoung.

Puzzled, Jinyoung blinks at his fairy boy for a few more seconds, then he glances over at his best friend. Jaebeom is currently kissing Jackson's knuckles, one by one. Though the latter looks absolutely baffled at that. Finally Jaebeom also seems to notice the strange atmosphere and freezes. Cautiously he peers up at Jackson to spot his wide eyes looking back at him.

“Yes, you _do_ ,” Mark insists. “And I'm pretty sure _both_ of you are mistaken.” He throws a disapproving glance at Jaebeom. Jackson silently nods his head in affirmation, his eyes still as round as coins. Jaebeom slowly lets the blond's hand sink down until he releases it entirely. Panicked eyes find Jinyoung, asking for help without the use of words. But the latter is just as puzzled as his best friend.

“But you're Mark and Jackson..... right?” Jinyoung asks meekly.

“Yeah? And who are you?” Mark questions, his eyebrows raised.

“You.... you don't remember us?” Is Jinyoung's voice quivering? Yes, it is.

“Listen,” Mark sighs, “if this is supposed to be some strange pick-up line then we really don't have time for this, so-”

“It's not!” Jinyoung blurts out.

“But you were-”

“You're supposed to remember us!” Jinyoung blames with sudden passion.

“I don't know-”

“But you _don't!_ How is this possible?”

“Can you let me finish my sentences? What is wrong with you?” Mark rants.

Jinyoung has no answer. He's way too confused and emotional. Gladly Jaebeom finally woke up.

“Jackson, come on,” he pleads. “We're destined to be together. Think hard about it! Try to remember! I know you can do it.”

“Hey Mark?” Jackson starts to whisper, still loud enough for them to hear as well, without tearing his eyes away from Jaebeom. “This very hot guy acts like I'm the love of his life, and I don't know if I should run or just make use of that opportunity.”

“Make use of it!” Jaebeom blurts out.

“Excuse me, this is a private conversation and he didn't ask _you_ ,” Mark grumbles.

“How is this private? You stand right in front of us,” Jinyoung points out.

“He whispered! That was clearly a sign for it being private but your friend still needed to butt in.”

“Mark?” Jackson loudly whispers again. “I mean he's kinda freaky but also pretty hot. What do I doooo?”

“Jackson, calm down. Last time I checked you were still straight.”

“NO HE ISN'T!” Jaebeom yells.

“He really isn't,” Jinyoung supports.

“And here you are butting in again,” Mark sighs. He runs a hand through his styled hair, looking partly exasperated and partly very confused. “And yes, he _is_ straight. Right, Jackson?”

“I really am. But I'm not obsessed with odd pseudo masculinity. I can confidently tell another guy that he's smokin' hot,” Jackson announces proudly.

“Well.... thanks.” Jaebeom looks and sounds pretty lost by now.

“What about you?” Jinyoung asks Mark.

“What about me? What I think about pseudo mas-”

“Are you straight?”

“I won't discuss my sexual preferences in the middle of some tupperware store with a total stranger,” he snorts.

“No,” Jackson whispers, holding up his hand between himself and Mark. “He's pretty gay.”

“Jackson! Don't tell them stuff!” Mark scolds.

“That was a private conversation, you know?!” Jackson justifies.

Mark only facepalms himself and shakes his head. But Jinyoung flashes Jackson a wide smile and receives a wink in return.

“Well, are we done here?” Mark eventually grumbles. “We actually have to be somewhere.”

“Oh yeah, damn, now Lynn will kill us for real,” Jackson whines.

“Who is Lynn?” Jinyoung asks, eager to get as many information as possible.

Mark sends him a questioning look. “Why would I tell you?”

“She's his older sister.”

“Jackson!”

“But Mark is right, we really have to get going. It was nice talking to you.”

“Jackson is too kind and also slightly insane,” Mark adds. “It was absolutely _weird_ talking to you. We will go now. Bye..... or something.”

Left with astonishment and confusion, Jinyoung and Jaebeom watch how Mark drags Jackson away. Then Jinyoung just plops down. With slumped shoulders he's sitting cross-legged on the floor.

“Jinyoung, you can't sit here in the middle of the aisle,” Jaebeom says softly.

Without a word, Jinyoung scoots to the side of the aisle and leans his back against a shelf. Jaebeom simply shrugs his shoulders and sits down next to him. A thousand times Jinyoung pictured the scenario of meeting Mark again. Not one single time he imagined it to happen like this.

“They forgot about us,” Jaebeom says quietly. “But they are humans, aren't they?”

“I think so.”

“What happened?”

“I have no idea,” Jinyoung sighs.

“But they are them, right? We're not making this up, right?”

“No, never. They look the same, same voices, same eyes, same scent. I don't have any doubts.”

“But they can't remember.”

“No.....,” Jinyoung sighs again. He is still so confused, but his mind desperately tries to come up with an explanation. “You wished for them to become humans and here they are. But it seems we didn't have much of a say when it comes to the specifics of their human lives. Since it wasn't included in the wish.... maybe it was dumb of us to expect them walking into school the next morning and be like 'Hey, we're humans now. What's up?'.

“Maybe.... yeah.....”

“But they are definitely our fairy boys.”

“Hmmmm....”

A heavy silence stretches out between them. Both have to calm down, to try sorting their emotions which are all over the place for all the right reasons. So it takes a while until Jinyoung speaks again. “Soooo, human Jackson, huh? He's stunning.” He smirks at Jaebeom who immediately lights up.

“Damn yes, he is! I thought about him as a human often. But reality beats everything.”

“And he still blabs Mark's secrets to us,” Jinyoung snickers.

“Yeah, that definitely didn't change,” Jaebeom chimes in. “But damn, Mark was pissed.”

“I probably should stop to annoy the shit out of Mark at every first meeting. How many first meetings does it take for me to learn?”

“History really repeats itself,” Jaebeom snorts.

“You..... you are right! Oh my god, you're right, Jaebeom! The reluctant and wary Mark from our first meeting is back. Oh wow! OH WOW!”

“He thinks you're some weirdo and you're celebrating that fact?”

“Shut up! You don't understand the importance lying in it. If he's wary now as he was the first time, that means I can turn him into this sweet and loving guy once again.”

“Yeah, at least yours is just wary, but not a whole het.”

“But he already admitted that he finds you attractive. That's a good start. It's this ancient love, Jaebeom. And you won't just outgrow ancient love. So cheer up!” As disappointed and shocked as Jinyoung is now, the happiness and relief to finally have met Mark again wins out over everything else.

“This kind of optimism, so enviable,” his friend groans. “So what now, oh grandmaster of optimism? I'm listening.”

“There's only one solution to that. We're going to hunt them down and squeeze ourselves into their lives until they can't forget about us anymore,” Jinyoung announces and raises a fist.

“I never heard something more unhealthy-sounding, to be honest. But I guess considering the very special circumstances, it's a fair thing to do.” Jaebeom shrugs his shoulders with a tiny smile on his lips.

“Excuse me, you can't just sit here.” They look up to find a young store clerk standing in front of them. He seems to be a bit confused about the situation. “According to fire protection regulations we need to keep the aisles clear.”

“But we have an emergency meeting,” Jinyoung explains full of confidence, as if it would actually be a good point to make.

“Does one of you need an ambulance. Are you hurt?”

“Does it count when I say my broken heart hurts pretty bad?”

The guy heaves a deep sigh. The hint of worry on his face got replaced with something that tells them clearly what he thinks of Jinyoung's cheap excuse. “No, it doesn't. I have to ask you to stand up, if you currently don't face an emergency.”

“I understand,” Jinyoung surrenders and gets to his feet. “I have to give a compliment to you. You're doing a great job here. I hope your supervisor feels blessed for having such a valuable and responsible employee in their team.” Jinyoung flashes him a smile and pats his shoulder.

The guy blinks at him for a few moments, before he breaks eye contact and starts to awkwardly shuffle his feet. “Uhm... well, thanks. You see, I'm sorry to have interrupted... _this_ , but.. yeah... it's my job... so.... uhm... if you would like to grab a coffee, my shift ends in half an hour.”

Now it's Jinyoung's turn to blink at him in astonishment. From the corner of his eye he sees Jaebeom facepalming himself. “Uh... no, sorry. We actually have plans- Wait! Where are they, Jaebeom? Where did they go?”

“I... uhm... I don't know. I was so flustered... I...oh fuck.”

And Jinyoung is sorry to just ditch the befuddled store clerk without an explanation, but they actually have to find their lost fairy boys. So without further ado they start running.

“Where are they?”

“They wanted to leave so let's check the front area.”

“How comes you piss off Mark but accidentally flirt with the store guy?”

“Shut up! I wasn't flirting.”

“That's why I said 'accidentally'.”

“That's why I said 'shut up'.”

They search the checkout area, but they find nothing. Then they stumble outside and take a look around, but their fairy boys are nowhere in sight.

“Fuck, of course they are gone. What were we thinking?” Jinyoung whines.

“I guess we were just a bit too overwhelmed with the situation.”

“Okay... wait.... let me think. They talked about working in that sandwich place which obviously is opening today. And it probably will be somewhere in the area? It can't be that difficult to find it, right?”

(*≧ω≦*)

Indeed, a quick online search later they are equipped with an address only two blocks away.

And with all their excitement they make their way to this address with maximum speed. Cautiously they peek through wide glass front of the shop. Their faces melt into infatuated smiles in an instant.

“They look sooooo good.”

“That we can actually enjoy this view again. Awesome. Oh my god, Mark just smiled! Oh wow, his smile is still dazzling, even without glitter.”

“Wait, did Jackson just flirt with this girl at that table?”

“I think she just dropped something and he picked it up for her.”

“He's so helpful. A true fairy angel walking on earth now,” Jaebeom sighs and clutches his shirt above his heart.

“We're like lovesick teens,” Jinyoung snickers.

“So?”

“Just an observation, no criticism. Please go on.”

“Jinyoung, look! This sign!”

Jinyoung's gaze follows the direction of Jaebeom's index finger. In the corner of the shop window a sign was put up which reads 'help wanted'.

“Oh wow, they need help and we need jobs and boyfriends. This is perfect!”

“Jinyoung, call that number! Call that number _now_! HURRY!” Jaebeom urges and almost knocks Jinyoung over with the way he shakes his shoulders.

So Jinyoung punches in the phone number and steps away from the shop, trying to look less suspicious. After a couple of rings somebody picks up.

“Yum-Yum Sandwich. This is Lynn speaking. Hello?”

“Hello. My name is Park Jinyoung. Me and my friend saw that you are looking for employees-”

“Yes, that's right. I'd like to talk to you and your friend first. How quick can you be here?”

“Uhm.... we're actually in the area. So-”

“Great! Just drop by and ring at the backdoor. See you in a bit!” And just like this the call ends.

“I think we scored a job interview,” Jinyoung says slowly, still astounded by the way the conversation went.

“Oh... great. When?”

“Uhm... kinda now.”

“What? I'm not dressed for a job interview.”

“It's a sandwich shop, not the Bank of Korea. Come on!”

Only a minute later Jinyoung rings at the mentioned backdoor. He's glad that they don't have to stomp through the shop for this interview. Mark and Jackson don't need to know about their scheme yet.

Finally a girl opens the door. She eyes them from head to toe with an open suspicion. But after she has finished her scan, her face lights up. Slim, chisel-faced, pretty, that's what comes to Jinyoung's mind. Her eyes are sharp but have a familiar twinkle in them. Her dark, straight her barely reaches her shoulders and frames her face nicely.

“You're Jinyoung!” she exclaims.

“Yeah, and this is my friend, Jaebeom.”

“Great! I'm Lynn. Please come in. You really were fast. That's good. I like fast.” She smiles at them as they walk past her. To his great surprise, her smile truly resembles Mark's in a certain way. This is another big epiphany. Sure, he kind of comprehended by now that Mark is a human, but the realization that he has a real family, a real human life, all without a trace of Jinyoung in it, leaves him confused.

Lynn leads them into a small office. It's a bit messy, but a restaurant opening must be stressful so Jinyoung really doesn't want to judge her for this. She squeezes herself in behind her little desk and offers them a seat in front of it.

“So,” she starts, her hands clasped together on the desk, “as you probably already saw, today is the grand opening. This means some things are still a little rocky but I expect the remaining issues to be smoothened out within the next two or three weeks. And since we're still understaffed, you two are just in time.”

“We're students though. That means for now we only plan to work during the semester break,” Jinyoung points out.

“That's fine. It gives me enough time to recruit permanent staff.”

“Okay,...uhm... since this was on rather short notice, we didn't bring our résumés. But we can hand them in-”

“You see,” she interrupts Jinyoung, “I don't actually care about your qualifications. You look neat, you can form sensible sentences, you don't seem impolite, you're fully dressed, you're hired.”

“Oh, wow... great.”

“Wait, your friend can speak too, right?” She narrows her eyes at Jaebeom while leaning over the desk.

“Yeah, sure. Jaebeom, speak!”

“I...uhm... I don't know what to say. Yes, I'm Jaebeom. I can speak,” he says, completely flustered by the unexpected approach.

She looks at him warily, reminding Jinyoung of Mark's expression earlier in the store, but then the suspicion turns into sympathy. “So our friend Jaebeom is a bit shy. That's no problem.”

“I'm not shy!” Jaebeom disagrees, but still seems so puzzled.

“Sure you aren't, hun.” She gives him an amused smile before she faces Jinyoung once more. “So, since I'm a young entrepreneur, I don't have great financial resources to fall back on, yet. For now, I can pay you only the minimum wage.”

“Deal. We're doing it,” Jinyoung agrees enthusiastically. He expected it to be much more difficult to worm his way into Mark's life. “Can we start today?”

“Okay, somebody is eager. I like that, too,” she says with an amused smile on her lips. “But today we're fully staffed. Just take these home with you,” she explains as she passes them a few documents. “Read this one. This is for you. And read and sign the other one and bring it with you tomorrow. Jinyoung, you get the first shift tomorrow, and you, Jaebeom, get the second one. You each will have another employee by your side who shows you the ropes. Sounds good?”

“Sounds perfect!”

(*≧ω≦*)

“Damn Jinyoung, you're shit at negotiating,” Jaebeom says as soon as they walk out the backdoor.

“Says the guy who failed at speaking his native language,” Jinyoung huffs.

“I admit, I might have felt a little intimidated. But honestly, we need to pay our rent and we also need to buy groceries. Can we do that with this little wage?”

“I don't really care.”

“Jinyoung!”

“We will just work on your weird binge eating habits to reduce food expenses, and we'll be fine.”

“ _Jinyoung!_ ”

“ _Jaebeom!_ ” Jinyoung mimics his tone. He pulls his best friend back to the spot where they are able to peek into the shop. “Don't you realize what is happening? We finally have our fairy boys back. We will finally have another shot after all this time. And just like this, we got these jobs, which are the best opportunity to become close to them. And you're really standing here, bitching about money?”

“But.... they forgot about us,” Jaebeom says meekly.

“That's the problem?” Jinyoung questions, more than surprised by his objections. “So what if they have forgotten about us?! At least they are here. They are still the same guys, _our_ guys, so whatever. We just have to make them fall for us a second time, and then we finally can be happy again.”

“I swear, your level of optimism isn't healthy.”

“I've spent the past few years without even a spark of optimism, so now it's time to splurge,” Jinyoung says dryly.

“Yeah,” Jaebeom whispers, probably remembering how very miserable Jinyoung was especially in the first year after the fairies vanished. He licks his lips before he continues to speak. “Jinyoung, if we really want to do this, we should have some kind of plan.”

“ _If_? _If_ we really want to do this? I can't believe we even have this conversation. It's like saying: let's see _if_ I feel like breathing tomorrow.”

Jaebeom groans and rolls his eyes. “I can't talk with you when you're like this.”

“Like what? Determined?”

“I just..... What if we can't make them fall for us again? I worked so hard to move on from.... _him_. The thought of trying to make him fall for me and failing in the end, that kills me. It would be just as painful as it was three years ago. Also to witness you hitting rock bottom again... I can't do this a second time, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung sees it on Jaebeom's face, in his eyes, the way his concerns are bringing him down. “You really have doubts,” he whispers.

“Yeah...”

“What happened? _When_ did it happen?”

“I know it's weird, since I was so enthusiastic about this whole thing up to this point, but my head cleared and I calmed down a little and.... yeah, I have doubts.”

“Don't do that, Jaebeom. We can't just not try. We're meant for each other, Mark and I and Jackson and you. There's no question about it.”

“You say that because you never truly moved on from Mark.”

“I don't deny this. But I have no idea why you pretend to ever have moved on from Jackson, because I know you're lying. And now he's really here. He's back, right there! And he's a human. No power of the universe will take him away this time. And you really want to turn your back on him and look for a lousy replacement, just because you're scared?” Jaebeom bites down on his lower lip. He's wavering, even looking a bit guilty. “Listen, we finally have the chance to get them back. We can't consider failure as an option. That's the wrong approach. We will get them back, no matter what, because that's how it's meant to be. And that's fate for you.”

“Aaahh, your baseless bravery jumped out again.” And Jinyoung simply knows that he has convinced Jaebeom, since he's already joking again.

“For the umpteenth time, it's not baseless.”

“And now it's even paired with baseless optimism. Your insufferableness just reached max level,” he fake whines.

“Good, watch me and learn. This is how you seduce a former fairy.”

Jaebeom huffs a laugh. “That's easy for you to say. At least yours is gay.”

“Oh come on, you will turn Jackson gay faster than your first girlfriend turned her back on you.”

“Is this supposed to be a motivation?” Jaebeom deadpanned.

“Yep, and we both know you need every ounce of motivation for our job and for Jackson.”

“If you say so..... ,” Jaebeom sighs. “By the way, I think our new boss is slightly nuts.”

“So what about it?”

“Uh... nothing, I guess,” he reconsiders. “Uhm, Jinyoung? We can't stay here, stalking them through the shop window like super weird weirdos.”

“We.... can't?” Jinyoung's bottom lip juts out and his eyes become round.

“Hmm... maybe just a little bit longer,” Jaebeom allows.

“Yes!”

So Jinyoung enjoys the view of Mark, working and talking and simply living like a normal human for another while. And as he watches him, a sudden thought pops in his mind. Jinyoung realizes that he would be able to have his first kiss with Mark for a second time. Actually they can share a lot of firsts again.

A dreamy smile stretches across his face. For a long time the world looked bleak for Jinyoung, but suddenly it bursts with colors and opportunities.

(*≧ω≦*)

Jinyoung is nervous. On the one hand this is his first job ever, on the other hand the thought of interacting with human Mark again causes all kinds of body reactions. He barely could sleep last night. He was too busy imagining different scenarios. His mood shifted from giddy joy to nervous anticipation. Then he started sweating so heavily that he got out of bed to take a shower long before he was supposed to wake up. Of course he spent a whole hour to choose his outfit for the day, despite knowing that he would wear the lime green apron of the shop later. But nothing could stop him from looking his absolute best today.

He arrives early, 20 minutes before the start of his 11 AM shift. Lynn is already there and greets him nicely, pointing out how much she appreciates punctuality. She asks him to take a seat in the shop. Jinyoung tries to get familiar with the different sandwiches on the menu while he waits for his coworker to arrive. And only now it hits him that it doesn't necessarily have to be Mark who he will share his first shift with today. Lynn didn't specify who the coworker will be. Upon this thought he starts to sweat again. He tries to focus on the menu, but the idea of ending up with anyone but Mark today is just too distracting.

Eventually somebody rings at the backdoor. Jinyoung holds his breath and pricks up his ears.

“Mark Tuan, why is your lazy ass always late?” Lynn rants.

Jinyoung's heart immediately tries to slam through his ribcage. “Tuan,” he whispers to himself. So this is his name now. It didn't cross his mind before that he wouldn't live in the human world under the name of Mark Fairybutton, but now that he thinks about it, it makes sense. Then Mark Tuan it is from now on.

“Don't go ballistic so early. Chill! Time is a float-”

“Don't even dare to finish this sentence, idiot!”

“Ugh! Whatever. Also I'm not late. My shift starts now.”

“Do you wear your apron yet? Are your hands clean? And why do you still carry your backpack when your shift already started? Every normal person would get here at least five minutes early. But young Lord Tuan doesn't give a damn, huh?”

“But technically I'm not la-”

“Technically you can shut up. And now get to work. Jinyoung is already waiting for you. He was here early, and the last thing I want to do is to punish him by adding your work to his duties.”

“Will you calm down? He won't have to do extra work. I'm almost ready. No reason to be such a dragon.”

“One more word and this dragon will decapitate you.”

“Yeah yeah- Wait, who is Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung hears their voices and steps coming closer. He tries to get himself together, but feels like he's not doing such a great job at it. Jinyoung looks up, eyes fixed on the doorway to the corridor which leads to the break room, the small storing place and Lynn's office.

“Jinyoung is your new coworker. You will teach him how to do things today. Once he learned everything, he will be a great help, I'm sure.” Both of them appear in the doorway. Lynn motions to the table which Jinyoung currently occupies and then nudges Mark forward. “Be nice, idiot.”

Mark sticks out his tongue as soon as she turns her back on him. Only then he properly looks at Jinyoung. The latter can see the wheels turning in his head. It takes a few moments but then the realization strikes Mark, and his face turns into a frown.

“What the heck are _you_ doing here?”

“Oh... uhm... hi. I'm-”

“Are you stalking me?”

“No!” Actually it's a big yes, but it's not like he can simply admit that. Jinyoung tries his best regaining his composure to not give Mark more reasons to scowl at him. “I guess that's what you call fate.” He stands up and walks a few steps towards him, flashing a smile.

“Not fate. Coincidence maybe. But something smells fishy here.”

“Anyway. My name is Park Jinyoung. This is my first day. Please take care of me.”

He holds out his hand. Mark eyes it with suspicion, but eventually he takes it to give a firm handshake.

“Mark Tuan, but you kind of know this already?”

“It's a pleasure, Mark. Let's have a good time working together,” Jinyoung announces enthusiastically to brush Mark's question under the carpet.

“Let's see about that.” Mark turns away, his expression still wary.

Only now Jinyoung notices that Mark is wearing a light blue tee today, which reminds him so much of the color of his wings. And now he can't tear his eyes away from him anymore. He watches Mark disappearing through the doorway. Jinyoung stays glued to the spot, his face lighting up again when a minute later Mark comes back, wearing the typical lime green apron. His eyes still follow him as he walks to the front door to unlock it.

“These are the keys. They are deposited in Lynn's office, on a key rack next to the door.” Jinyoung nods his head, still blatantly staring. “Open the door when you have the first shift and lock the door when you're part of the second shift. Pretty easy. We share the tables. Left side yours, right side mine. Understand?”

Jinyoung nods his head again, lips curled upwards into a stupid smile, eyes still fixed on Mark.

“Are you alright?”

“YES!” Too late Jinyoung realizes that he accidentally yelled. Mark's face tells him that he finds him extremely weird again. That wasn't the good start Jinyoung was hoping for, but he still suppresses the urge to facepalm himself.

“Oki, well.... come on. As long as no guests are in, let's work on learning how to make sandwiches.”

Jinyoung finally moves and follows Mark behind the counter. The other tells him where he finds the ingredients, how to operate the equipment, the register included, and how to prepare the more basic sandwiches. It's rather difficult to focus on everything he teaches him when Mark is so close and smells so good. But he knows his fairy boy will dislike him even more if he behaves like an airhead.

After watching Mark making a special sandwich, Jinyoung tries it himself. He feels Mark's eyes on him, watching his movements, looking for a mistake. But Jinyoung was observant before and has no doubts that he can pull it off. So it might be time for an attempt to get a little closer to Mark.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“As long as it's work-related, sure.”

“How old are you?”

“How is this work-related?” Mark asks with furrowed brows as he tilts his head to the side.

This little action takes Jinyoung's breath and all his words away. So he just keeps staring at him with wide eyes and awkwardly shrugs his shoulders.

Mark rolls his eyes and turns back towards the sandwich in the making. “Whatever. I'm 21.”

“You're older than me,” Jinyoung gasps. “How...”

“I will teach you how to make a good sandwich but won't explain to you how it's possible that somebody in this world can be older than you,” the other snorts.

“Uhm.. yeah, sure. I'm 20, by the way.”

“Uh-huh.” That's all he gets from Mark. But that barely matters. Even these little familiar gestures are still there, so Jinyoung contemplates that Mark Fairybutton, along with all his memories, possibly still exists somewhere deep inside him.

“You know what I loved watching when I was a kid?”Jinyoung blurts out. There is no answer, only a skeptical look. So he provides the answer himself. “My Little Pony. I loved this. All those unicorns and uhm... Fluttershy and... friendship is magic and everything. You know?”

The skeptical look turned into another frown while Jinyoung was talking. His initial optimism, regarding the idea of poking some forgotten memories awake, leaves him quickly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

“I have no idea what makes you think that I would be interested in hearing weird bits about your personal life.”

“W-Weird?”

“Yeah. People are so weird in general, but you-”

“You used to say this!” Jinyoung gasps, the words 'humans are so weird' echoing in his mind.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh... uhm... nothing. Yes, people are weird. Agreed.”

“And you are one of the weirdest.”

“Alright, I take that as a compliment. Look, we have guests.”

And indeed, two guys around their age enter the shop and grab a table.

“Oki, you keep working on that sandwich,” Mark says as he takes two menus and starts to make his way over to the guests. But all alarm bells go off in Jinyoung's head when he sees how one of the guys musters Mark from head to toe, longingly. He even licks his lips! The audacity! Under no circumstances Jinyoung will allow some random guy to flirt with his fairy boy.

So he speed-walks after Mark and snatches the menues from him.

“I'll get that for you.”

Mark looks at him with raised eyebrows. “But it's _my_ table.”

“Yeah, but I need to practice interacting with guest as well, right?! So you can observe from over there, far _far_ over there, how I'm doing.” Jinyoung winks at him before he walks up to the table. The one guy looks a little disappointed for a moment but then immediately tries to hit on Jinyoung. Well, good luck with that, he thinks.

When he comes back behind the counter to an indifferent looking Mark, he cheers, “I did it. I took their order!”

“Wow, congrats on having a basic grasp of human communication.”

“I know that was sarcasm, but still, thanks. Now I will prepare their order and you have to supervise my work. Come on, come closer!” Jinyoung announces, highly motivated.

Mark rolls his eyes another time but drops his folded arms nonetheless. He retakes the spot next to Jinyoung, watching him making the ordered sandwiches. Jinyoung smiles the entire time, silently reveling in Mark's presence.

There's still a long way to go, but at least he got a second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, how do you like this turn of events? (/￣ー￣)/~~☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆


	13. 2.2

“The problem is that I'm undyingly in love with Mark while he just isn't into me at all.”

“Very well analyzed.” Jaebeom is busy slicing lettuce for his sandwich in the making, but now he's looking up from his current task with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile.

“Yeah yeah, I know it's obvious,” Jinyoung sighs. The pensive look on his face changes when the corners of his mouth drop down. “Don't look at me like that. I just felt like pointing it out another time.”

“If this helps you to cope-”

“I didn't say that.”

Jaebeom huffs a laugh. “Do you even realize how ridiculous this whole thing is?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did we fall in love with magical glitter fairies when we're now back to everyday problems with them? I feel like we're stuck in a rom-com. Students are hopelessly in love with some guys who either don't care about them or don't even care about their entire gender group. And we're even working in this typical setting of a rom-com. Only a coffee shop would have been more cliché. So where is the camera which films our misery?”

“Good point,” Jinyoung snorts. “There's really nothing magical about this. Just normal students chasing their crushes.” Jinyoung fixes his apron before he starts to clean up the remnants of Jaebeom's vegetables massacre. “So how is it going with Jackson so far?”

Jaebeom stops moving for a few seconds before he turns his head to look at Jinyoung. “Good. Friendly. Casual. Nothing more, sadly.” A deep sigh escapes his lips. Suddenly he looks so sad that even the ham sandwich in front of him seems to show him sympathy. “It was just so much easier when he outright told me that I'm hot and I only had to nod my head and open my arms for him.”

“You've opened your legs pretty quickly as well.”

“Shut up! My point is, this time it's so much harder.”

Jinyoung pats his back in an attempt to show his support and understanding. “You need to bring in the big guns, you know?”

“Big guns?”

“I'm talking about flirting. Jackson really needs to understand _the way_ you're interested in him. You don't want to be his buddy and you need to make it clear. Otherwise he won't even start to consider being with a guy.”

“I can't flirt to save my life.”

“You need to try! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Also this is what people in a rom-com would do.”

“Last time I checked you weren't gold medalist in flirting either,” his best friend huffs.

“Ugh... this is different. Mark still looks at me like I want to steal his identity if he turns his back on me. I need to coax him to warm up to me, but I have now idea how to do it. I don't know how to convince him that I'm a nice guy when he blocks every attempt to even have a friendly conversation.”

“You need to keep trying. He can't shut his eyes to the facts forever. Maybe you should follow your own advice and start to flirt the heck out of him.”

“I'm not sure if this is the right measure in this situation.”

“Being just friendly with him didn't bring you anywhere, right?”

“Right.... I will think about it.”

“I see a sleepless night coming up,” Jaebeom teases.

“Funny,” Jinyoung deadpans.

“But do you know what we also need to win our fairy boys over? Actual shifts together with them. I can't believe I'm hanging out with _you_ instead of my future boyfriend. This is a complete waste of time,” Jaebeom whines.

“Well sorry, this wasn't my plan either,” Jinyoung answers dryly. “Sadly, they ended up getting shifts together, probably because _they_ are best friends and _we_ are best friends. We need to talk to Lynn. We somehow have to convince her to pair us up differently.”

“What if she pairs you up with Jackson? And what if he's gonna fall for your big, sparkly eyes and your pouty lips and your giant ears and... and everything else?”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes. Normally his best friend doesn't tend to be this dramatic but as soon as Jackson is involved everything is possible. “Can you shut up? Jackson is straight. Why would he fall for me?”

“Stop hurting me by reminding me of THAT!” Several guests turn around to find out why one of the employees would raise their voice. Jaebeom becomes shy immediately and bows his head in apology. Though it doesn't stop Jinyoung from slapping his shoulder.

“You're ridiculous, but what's new?! We just have to tell Lynn explicitly what we want and everything will be fine.”

“Okay, go and tell her. Now.”

“Fine,” Jinyoung agrees and takes a few steps towards the doorway. Only when he notices that Jaebeom stays glued to the spot he turns around. “Aren't you coming?”

Jaebeom vigorously shakes his head no. “You know I can't talk to her. I'm low-key scared of Lynn.”

“If your parents would hear this, they'd shove you right back into your diapers.”

“But they aren't here and you won't tell them.”

“I wouldn't?”

“Never.”

“You're right,” Jinyoung sighs and starts to move again.

“Whoohooo, you can do it Jinyoung. Remember, we only have the semester break to get our boys back.”

It's cute that his best friend tries to cheer him on, but his words are also a painful reminder. After the semester break, they won't have an excuse to meet Mark and Jackson anymore and that will reduce their chances massively. Why is his time with Mark always limited? Is this his life theme? This is stressful!

Jinyoung gathers his thoughts and knocks at Lynn's office door.

“Come in!”

Jinyoung opens the door and peeks inside, wearing a small smile.

“Hey Lynn, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure, what is it?” She sets her laptop aside and waits for Jinyoung to take a seat in front of her desk. “How can I help you? Wait, this isn't about money, right?”

“Uhm no, not money related at all.”

“Good.” The slight uneasiness on her face immediately vanishes, replaced by an expectant smile.

“Well, Jaebeom and I are wondering if you could pair us up with different coworkers for our shifts.”

“That would of course be possible. But why? You're getting along fine, don't you?”

“You see, we're best friends for an eternity already and we're living together. We decided that it's not necessarily healthy for us to spend even more time together, if you know what I mean.”

“Don't want to hang out 24/7, huh? I guess even the best friendships wouldn't survive this in the long run,” she snickers. “It's fine with me. I think you and Jackson would make a perfect team. You gonna be able to handle him well.”

“Uhm, actually I think Jaebeom and Jackson would work better together,” Jinyoung cautiously suggests.

Lynn narrows her eagle-eyes, fixing Jinyoung with a disquietingly intense stare. Yes, that's the reason why Jaebeom is intimidated, Jinyoung confirms mentally. “Yeah? Why is that?”

“Uhm... Jaebeom admires him and thinks he can learn a lot from Jackson. Like...uhm... some kind of role model, you know?”

“We are talking about Jackson Wang? _This_ Jackson Wang who works _here_?” she asks flabbergasted. Lynn raises one eyebrow in slow motion. Jinyoung knows Jaebeom would have started crying at this point.

“Y-Yes?”

“Interesting.” She slowly leans forward, eyes still firmly trained on him. “Or is it that Jaebeom has the hots for Jackson like you have the hots for my brother?” A wicked smirk grows on her face while Jinyoung sits there like a deer caught in the headlights.

“W-W-What?” he squeaks.

“I'm pretty observant, Jinyoung. Well, and I have eyes. Everyone with eyes notices that you are staring. Basically every time your attention isn't focused on a guest, it's 100% on Mark. And your yearning eyes, sugar-sweet, dreamy smile and heavy sighs are easy to read. It's as sweet as it is tragic,” she concludes dryly.

“Uhm.. I... uhm.. okay, you're right. I know he's your little brother, so let me explain-”

“I don't care though. No wait, basically I even think it's a good thing. Look Jinyoung, you're a nice and dedicated guy. I think you would treat him very good. And heaven knows Mark needs a nice guy in his life.”

“O-Okay?” Jinyoung asks meekly, still very surprised by the direction this conversation took.

“So from next week on, consider all your shifts to be with Mark. Good?” Jinyoung's wide eyes seem to bring a complacent smile to her face.

“Wow, thank you, Lynn. I appreciate it a lot.”

“No problem.”

“What about Jaebeom?”

“Hmmm, I'm gonna pair him up with Yerim, just because he didn't have the guts to ask me himself.” Her smirk tells Jinyoung that there's still room for negotiation.

“Come on, Lynn. You wouldn't actually do this, right? It would be pretty mean.”

“No, I won't,” she laughs. “I know Mark calls me dragon for a reason, but I'm proud to announce that I solely act as a dragon when it's him. Others are usually safe.”

“Why are you a dragon to him though?”

“Because I'm his older sister. That's my job. He's a little pest and I'm a dragon. I will tease him, always, and he will annoy me, also always. But when he really needs help I'll be there and pull him out of shit. Also always. And I know he would do the same. That's the concept of siblings.”

“Oh...”

“You don't have siblings, right?”

“No.”

“It shows,” she laughs again. “But it's alright. When it comes to you, I think this concept would have flopped anyway. You're way too cute for being a pest _or_ a dragon.”

“Stop, I'm getting shy,” he mumbles.

“That's exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway, you will get your shifts with Mark and your mute friend will get his shifts with Jackson. But... you are aware that they would make quite the chaos couple, right?”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung answers, flashing her a nostalgic smile. “I know it too well. But I also know that they would make it.”

“If you say so....” She casually shrugs her shoulders. “That's none of my business anyway. Good luck, Jinyoung.”

“Thank you.”

The way the conversation was going was absolutely unexpected. As soon as Jinyoung closes the office door behind himself, he takes a deep breath. Lynn really is an intense person, but he couldn't ever bring himself to dislike her.

Jaebeom already paces up and down in front of the doorway. The curiosity is written all over his face and seems to grow with every step Jinyoung comes closer.

“And? How did it go?”

“Good. You will have your shifts with Jackson from next week on.”

“Woah! That's awesome!” His face lights up with a childlike smile. “How did you manage that?”

“Well... let's not talk about it.”

The enthusiasm fades away in an instant when he asks, “So bad?”

“Worse.”

“How?”

“She knows you have a crush on Jackson and I have a crush on Mark.”

“What? How could you tell her that?” he whisper-screams.

“I didn't! She just knew, okay?”

“Woah... she's really so scary.”

“I wouldn't call it scary-”

“I _would_.”

“Well, whatever. We'll get what we wanted, even if we had to make a sacrifice for it.”

“You're right.” Jaebeom nods pensively. “Can you talk to Jackson for me next?”

“Excuse me, I seem to have missed the job interview when you hired me as your assistant.”

“Jinyoooooouuuuung,” he coos. It annoys Jinyoung, a lot. “We both know that you have the better access to people. You are this warm person, the one who gets into other people's heads and is liked by everyone.”

“You honestly dare to say that to somebody who got bullied in school. Not the smartest move,” Jinyoung points out.

“School is over. Life continued. You're this golden boy, Jinyoung. You're a good talker and empathetic and-

“Oh god, stop it with your bootlicking! Alright, I'm gonna talk to him.” Jinyoung heaves a sigh when he sees his best friend's jubilant smile.

“Perfect! You're awesome, Jinyoung! I know you will do a good job. Tell him that I'm a great guy, that he absolutely needs to date me, that I'm an excellent kisser and brilliant in bed-”

“Better shut up before I change my mind.”

“I won't say another word. What are words? I don't know them.”

Lynn is right, Jaebeom and Jackson will absolutely be a chaos couple.

(*≧ω≦*)

His chance to talk to Jackson arises sooner than expected. It happens only two days later, when Jaebeom needs to leave early for a dental appointment and Jackson comes in for his shift. Mark is still nowhere in sight, but that's okay. His ongoing tardiness plays into Jinyoung's hands today. He absolutely doesn't need him to be around for this talk.

“Heeeey Jackson!”

“Hi Jinyoung, what's up?” Like so often, Jackson seems to be in a good mood. He always greets Jinyoung with a nice smile whenever they meet each other.

“Just finishing up. I want to leave everything nice and clean to you.”

“Aaaahhh, you're such a good coworker,” he cheers and pinches Jinyoung's cheek. The blond is really someone who isn't afraid of physical contact. “Which leads to the question: Is Mark already here?”

With a lopsided grin on his face Jinyoung answers, “You know, time is a floating concept.”

“Oh please stop it, I can't listen to this anymore. It hurts my brain,” Jackson laughs.

“But if you are free for a few more minutes, I'd like to have a chat with you,” Jinyoung suggests as he motions towards the mostly unoccupied tables. “There's not much to do right now anyway.”

“Sure. We never had the chance to talk so far.” The smile on Jackson's face is so friendly and genuine that Jinyoung almost feels bad about trying to get some information out of him. Almost.

Jinyoung casually leans against the counter, Jackson does the same across from him. “So, you and Mark are best friends, huh?”

“Yessir! The bestest friends ever. We're so close, nothing can come between us. Not even a piece of paper. Not even an ant... or a speck of dust. Nothing.”

“Oh cool. Really good friends are awesome and rare in this life. How long have you known each other?”

“Since kindergarten. I'm so glad I've met him there. It might sound crazy but I felt kinda lost before, like something important was missing. Since the first day we met, I felt a lot calmer. I knew this would be something that lasts a lifetime. I feel like I know him for an eternity already.”

Belatedly Jinyoung realizes that his jaw dropped while he listened to Jackson. With wide eyes he's blinking at the blond who now squirms under his stare.

“I knew it, you _do_ think I'm crazy for saying that, right? It was sappy, I know.”

“N-No, not at all. I just think it sounds amazing and very satisfying. It's awesome how you meet some people and just know they are meant to stay. You're lucky.”

“Yeah, I consider myself lucky too.” The beaming smile on his face makes Jinyoung smile as well. “But you and Jaebeom are just like that, right? At least that's the vibe I get from you guys.”

“Yeah, I guess that's true. We went trough some shit together.”

“What doesn't kill the friendship makes it stronger, right?”

“True... true,” Jinyoung mumbles. It takes him all his willpower to suppress flashbacks from three years ago. He can't afford to be pulled back down into the darkness. Yes, it made their friendship stronger but at what cost?! He shakes his head to dispel the negative thoughts. He can't lose sight of his mission. “Well, while we're talking about Jaebeom.....”

“Yeah? What about him?”

“What do you think about him?”

“He's cool. You're both cool. I like you guys.”

“Thanks, I like you, too. You're one of the good ones. I mean it.”

“Aaaaah! You're so cute!” Jackson shrieks as he jumps forward to wrap his arms around Jinyoung in a tight hug. Jinyoung isn't so sure anymore if this conversation goes in the intended direction.

“Oh wow, so expressive,” he chuckles and pats Jackson's back. The blond sets him free again, a sheepish smile playing on his face.

“Yeah... uhm...sorry. I know some people don't like it, but I have trouble to tone down my emotions. So... yeah, sorry if I overstepped here.” He rubs the back of his neck, looking guilty like a child caught with the hand in the cookie jar. Jinyoung almost laughs at that. He knows Jackson Sparklesby would have hugged him just as tightly, but he never would have apologized for it. Seems like the experiences of living in the human world changed some things after all.

“No worries. In my opinion there's nothing wrong with showing emotions. At least everybody knows where they stand with you.”

“Now I like you even more than before, Jinyoung. You're so kind.” Big round puppy eyes are staring back at him, a slightly trembling bottom lip making him look extra soft. This is really not the way Jinyoung thought it would be going.

“But let's talk about Jaebeom. He's also very likable. And I kind of remember that you mentioned he's hot. It still stands, right?”

“Yes, he's still hot. I mean, it didn't change much in the past few days.”

“Good, good. He thinks you're hot, too.”

“I know. He said something along those lines.”

“That's actually a great foundation. You're both very likable and hot. Would you consider going out with him?”

“Like bros, hanging out?” Jackson asks, scrunching his eyebrows together.

“Uhm... sure, something like that. But a little bit more experimental. You know... it's an adventure. Just relax and give it a try.”

“That sounds like he's going to kidnap me or something.” Jackson looks too confused for Jinyoung's liking. He really has to spell it out to him.

“No, that's not what I meant. Sorry, I tried to say it in a roundabout way. But what I mean is, maybe you could go on a date with Jaebeom and check out if his attractiveness isn't the only thing that leaves an impression on you. Maybe you would end up liking him more than just a bro.”

“You tell me that I might not be straight?” Part of the confusion is gone, but Jinyoung can't ignore his doubtful look.

“Uhm.... maybe? Did you ever try to be with a guy?”

“No.”

“And did you ever consider the option of being with a guy?”

“No? I mean, not yet.”

“Would you be completely opposed to the idea of being with a guy?” Jinyoung continues to carefully venture into the topic.

Jackson is quiet for a moment, thinking, exploring the option in his head and in his heart. “No, I'm not opposed to it. I never tried it, right? So how can I know if I like it or not? It's like not ever trying olives but claiming to dislike them. And that's crazy because you might miss out on something very tasty, right?”

“That comparison seems kind of random but it's actually a good example, yeah. And a very good approach to life in general. But that's only my personal opinion.” Jinyoung's words of praise bring a warm smile to Jackson's face. “So that means you would give a date with Jaebeom a shot?”

“Yeah, I'm up for it. But wouldn't it be kinda weird, if I ask Jaebeom out just to realize later that guys aren't my cup of tea after all? I don't want to lead him on.”

“You don't need to worry about anything. I will handle it. I'm going to tell Jaebeom that it's just a chance for you to check out a new option. No promises. No obligations. No pressure. Just exploring possibilities. He will take care of the planning and you just have to be there, gorgeous and open-minded as you are. Sounds good?”

“Actually it sounds great. Thank you, Jinyoung. Has anyone ever told you that you're a true enabler?”

Mark's voice is echoing through his head, saying the words “You're an enabler, Jinyoung.” in the fondest way. The mental image of the fairy boy, lounging on the carpet in his room, looking at Jinyoung in awe, follows immediately. The bittersweet memory warms his chest but breaks his heart at the same time. “Uhm well.... I just like to see the people around me being happy. It's actually pretty selfish, right?” He lets out a fake laugh, not quite able to shake off the memories yet.

“No, not at all. I don't think you have a single selfish bone in your body,” he replies, suddenly rather serious. Jackson seems to look right into his soul, so Jinyoung quickly turns away to wipe down the counter, even though he already did it before Jackson arrived.

“You're flattering me. There's no need to,” he murmurs.

“Well, I don't. But you seem to be the type who can't handle receiving compliments well. I will keep that in mind to embarrass you in the future.” Jackson shoves his wide grin into Jinyoung's field of vision. This time Jinyoung's laugh is real.

“Good to know. I'm looking forward to this.”

“And now get out of here. You're working overtime already.”

“Uhm... I can't leave you all alone here. I should at least stay until Mark arrives.”

“Oh, I get it. You don't want to let an opportunity pass to stare at him for a little longer, right?”

“W-What?” Jinyoung squeaks.

“You like to stare at him. I noticed that. But there's nothing's wrong with it, I guess.”

Jinyoung presses his palms against his burning cheeks. Why is everyone saying the same thing? He can't be that obvious, right? “I... I'm not staring. I just check if... his face is still okay.”

“For someone smart, this was a rather pathetic excuse, but whatever,” the blond boy snickers. “I think it's cute how huge your crush on him is. And that only after seeing him for a bit in this household store. Impressive. I thought love at first sight was just a rumor but you proved the opposite.”

If he would only know how far from love at first sight this really was, Jinyoung thinks glumly. “Well, what can I say? He's 100% my type. But it seems I don't quite fit his ideal type.”

“No, you don't. And I couldn't be happier about it. Hey, don't pull such a face,” Jackson coos and gently pats Jinyoung's hair. “I think you would make a great couple. It's just that Mark has to overcome his reservations towards your attitude first to see you for who you really are.”

“ _Reservations_ towards my _attitude_?”

“You have to admit, your pick-up line in that store was the weirdest thing ever. Just pretending that you would know each other. But I give you full points for creativity. The problem is, Mark doesn't. You know, Mark is usually a total sweetheart. But right now he thinks you're super weird because of this first meeting.”

“I see,” Jinyoung sighs. His head hangs low, his shoulders hunched. Jackson once more chooses the physical approach to comfort Jinyoung and rubs his hand over his back in a soothing gesture.

“Heeey, don't take it to heart.”

“Uuuh... I try?” he answers not very convincingly.

“Let some time pass and he will see your true colors, I'm really sure. You know, he's a bit cautious. Mark had some encounters in his life which ended on not so good terms. Now he usually doesn't like super weird people so much anymore. But I think you are different..... and very entertaining. That's the reason why I immediately took a liking to the both of you.”

“Thank.... you?” Jinyoung doesn't know if Jackson's statements are supposed to be encouragement. But since he speaks in this very cheerful and upbeat tone, they are probably meant to be.

“You're welcome. Just be yourself in front of Mark and everything will go great.”

Jackson is the best soul under the sun, Jinyoung decides. He's also happy-go-lucky, but good-natured to the core.

“So you really think I would be a good boyfriend for your best friend?”

“Of course. Also I think you would kick his ass every time he's _this_ late,” he cackles. “But jokes aside, Mark is actually quite a romantic. He kinda believes the perfect boy, the one he's meant to be with, will just magically appear with a bang right in front of him. Though when I think about it, that's kinda what you did,” he laughs, and makes Jinyoung smile with it. “So don't lose hope and give Mark the chance to get to know you.”

“I guess I will try that.”

(*≧ω≦*)

“CAN YOU GET A GRIP FOR ONCE, IDIOT?”

“SHUT UP, DRAGON! YOU'RE GOING TO SCARE AWAY EVEN THE MOST HARDBOILED GUESTS WITH YOUR DRAGON NOISES!”

“GET OUT OF THERE AND KEEP ON WORKING, DUMBASS!”

Jinyoung nervously darts his eyes around the room, checking on the guests and hoping that they are too engrossed in their conversations to notice the clamor coming from Lynn's office. A moment later Mark storms in and joins Jinyoung behind the counter. He's looking a hell of a lot angry right now. Jinyoung has to admit he also looks super hot this way. But for now he bemoans the fact that Mark is in a foul mood even before he had the chance to start a conversation with him. Still, he has to try.

“Hey Mark, how are you today?” Cheerful voice, bright smile, Jinyoung serves.

“Fine!” Mark huffs, making clear that he's everything but fine.

“Great!” Jinyoung exclaims nevertheless and waits for the polite question in return. But there's nothing. Only Mark, scrubbing a chopping board in the sink as if it has personally offended him. “I'm fine as well. I'm super energized and ready to seize the day. Are you energized as well?”

“Not much, no.”

He's already used to get these curt answers. That's actually nothing new. And they seem to be especially reserved for Jinyoung. When he watches Mark serving the guests, making small talk and flashing his brilliant smile, Jinyoung wants to weep. He deserves all of this, and anybody seems to get it but him.

A quiet sigh escapes his lips as he watches Mark work from the back. The small hoop earring in his left ear catches the sunlight. It reminds Jinyoung of the diamond strings, of blond hair, of everything bright and sparkly that surrounded fairy Mark.

Is this it? Did he fall in love with Mark because he was a fairy, a magical and special being, unrivaled on earth? Is he now only in love with the idea of somehow getting his fairy boy back instead of being interested in human Mark? Is he too spoiled to fall for a human now, even if this human is a version of his fairy boy? The thought is frightening. If he finds himself unable to fall for a mere human, this entire endeavor would be a waste of time. Jinyoung started the day with the sole mission of wooing Mark at all costs. He wasn't prepared to face such an existential crisis. Nevertheless he has to find out. But how would he know? This question isn't anything he can easily answer. He needs to find out through trial and error. But how, when Mark still blocks even friendly small talk?

Maybe Jaebeom was right and it's time that Jinyoung follows his own advice. So when he's not getting anywhere with innocent friendliness, he might have to get tough and resort to bold flirting moves.

Jinyoung is not the goody-two-shoes teen anymore. He experienced some things. He tried stuff, mostly to distract himself from the loss of the love of his life. Not everything was pretty, or romantic, or enjoyable, but he learned many things. And all of that hopefully will help him to win Mark over.

Jinyoung quietly approaches Mark, cautiously peeking over his shoulder to make sure he isn't handling knives in the sink. Safety first! Then he leans his backside against the counter, right next to Mark, equipped with crossed arms, a cheeky smirk and a lot of hope.

“You know, I recently started a collection.”

“Uh-huh....” Mark is so not interested, he doesn't even so much as glance at Jinyoung.

“Want to know more?”

“Do you hear me asking about it?”

“I collect phone numbers. Can I have yours?”

Now for sure he caught Mark's attention. And it's not only a glance, it's a full-fletched stare. Admittedly, a stare which spells out incredulousness, but Jinyoung considers this to be a small victory nevertheless.

“Please, somebody shoot me. Someone... no matter who. But fast, to deliver me from this pain,” Mark finally murmurs as he shakes his head. This reaction prompts an even wider smile to appear on Jinyoung's face, and Mark eventually averts his gaze to focus on the dirty dishes again.

“I also collect home addresses. If you like to help me out-”

“Oh please shut up!” he snorts. But Jinyoung sees it, the way the corners of Mark's mouth curl upward.

“Do I see a smile there?” he coos.

“No!” Mark lets his head hang low, trying to hide his face, but Jinyoung has none of it. He dips his head to have a better view.

“Oh yes, it was there. You smiled. That was your first smile for me. What a special day. Tonight I will write into my diary that the prettiest boy alive gave me a sweet smile.” Sure, Jinyoung lays it on thick with his heroically delivered statement, but he's ready to go all out.

“It was a hysteric smile,” the other defends himself. “It jumps out every time I ask myself how I ended up here, stuck with an overambitious weirdo.”

“Your smile is so pretty.”

“Are you even listening?” Now the incredulous look along with all the attention is back, and Jinyoung simply revels in it.

“I could listen to your voice all day long.” Jinyoung's tone dropped, his smirk a little less prominent and his eyes half-lidded.

“I give up!” Mark throws his hands up in frustration and spreads water droplets everywhere. Jinyoung tries to stifle his laugh but with poor success. Finally he gets some cute reactions out of Mark.

“Does that mean you gonna give me your number?”

“No, that means I give up my hopes to ever have a normal life because I obviously only attract weirdos.”

“Tell me who I have to fight and I'll do it. I know you love to protect, but if needed I can do it just as good.”

“It's going to be funny watching you kicking your own ass,” he scoffs.

“Anything for you, pretty boy.”

“Oh the regret that still nobody dropped by to shoot me,” Mark whines.

“You're so cute,” Jinyoung marvels. He flashes him a bright smile. Mark only rolls his eyes and reluctantly continues his task. Jinyoung grabs a towel and starts to dry the dishes. “You know, if you were my boyfriend I wouldn't stop bragging about you.”

“Dream on,” Mark snorts.

“If I even have your permission now, I gladly will. Thank you. I really would tell anybody and everybody about you. Listen, dream boyfriend, I even would put your photo on the back of my phone case so everyone could see how lucky I got, while I'm busy scrolling through your cute selfies and don't have time to brag about my ethereal boyfriend with excessive praise.”

“Don't people only do this with k-pop stars?”

“You look better than all of them, so why not?”

“And you're the k-pop fangirl then?” Mark huffs a laugh. Jinyoung feels like he's finally getting somewhere. At least Mark isn't low-key ignoring him right now.

“First of all, fanboys are a thing. And second, I have some traits of a k-pop fan.”

“Being obnoxious,” Mark suggests with a blank face.

“Au contraire, pretty boy. I talk about being determined, smart, hardworking, and having so much love to give. Honestly Mark Tuan, you should date me. You're missing out on the love of your life.” A confident smile adorns Jinyoung's face. And when Mark looks back at him Jinyoung even shoots him a clumsy wink. Usually he can't wink to save his life but right now he's ready to give his everything.

“You're insane,” Mark comments flatly.

“That's a very free interpretation of my enchanted condition. You don't know me well enough yet, and that's fine. I will show you a lot of myself in the next weeks.”

“Sounds like threat.”

“The best one you'll ever get, pretty boy. I already told you how proud I would be with you as my boyfriend, but I didn't tell you yet what kind of boyfriend I would be to you. Are you curious?”

“You really want an answer to that?”

“Not needed. I know you're curious but you will pretend you're not,” Jinyoung sighs. “And for what? Just to lie awake at night and ponder over the beautiful things I could possibly share with you. Tragic. Your stubbornness totally ruins opportunities for you. But don't worry,” he says, before he leans in closely and whispers into Mark's ear, “I'm pretty stubborn myself.”

“What the heck are you doing?” Mark takes a step back, hands dripping with dishwater.

He is so flustered. Again Jinyoung wants to laugh out loud because he's just so cute, but Mark shouldn't think he's making fun of him. So instead, Jinyoung just continues his quest for a torrent of reactions by saying outrageous things.

“The way you blush is absolutely beautiful.”

“Stop smiling like a weirdo!” Mark nags before he slowly approaches the sink again. “And I have to disappoint you, fact is I don't blush. Ever.”

“Then it's especially reserved for me? I feel so honored. You're not even my boyfriend yet and you're already this sweet. How should I hold myself back when you are like this?”

Mark closes his eyes and shakes his head for what feels like the tenth time within the past ten minutes.

“How can one single person talk so much trash, continuously?”

“I have many talents and I invite you to experience all of them up close,” Jinyoung purrs, a coquettish smile playing on his lips.

Mark stares at him in which seems like a mix of astonishment and curiosity. Sadly he regains his composure rather fast and just snorts, “Give me a break!” He adds an excessive eye roll. Mark grabs some of the clean plates to put them back on the shelf. “Get to work! Not only with your mouth but also with your hands.”

“Since you're a piece of work, are you suggesting I should put my hands on _you_?”

“What?” Mark shrieks at the innuendo. He's so flustered that the plates slip out of his hands and plummet to the floor. One after the other, the crockery shatters with blood-curdling noise. Both of them watch helplessly as the broken pieces spin upon the tiles in all directions. Then a deafening silence settles in. Mark's jaw dropped open. He can't seem to tear his eyes away from the mess.

As soon as Jinyoung snaps out of it, he quickly apologizes to the guests over the counter. Then he looks back at the deeply shocked boy.

“WHAT WAS THIS NOISE?” It's Lynn's voice, and just a moment later Jinyoung hears her office door being pushed open. Mark finally moves and looks up, over to the doorway, panic obvious in his eyes. After their fight earlier, a reprimand from his sister is probably the last thing Mark needs. So Jinyoung takes two quick steps and gently pushes Mark away from the porcelain massacre. Just as Lynn emerges from the corridor, Jinyoung stands where Mark was glued to the spot only a second ago. He looks up at her, flaunting his saddest expression.

“I dropped some plates. I'm so sorry, Lynn. It won't happen again. I will be more careful in the future, I promise. And of course you can deduct this money from my pay,” Jinyoung suggests with round eyes and his bottom lip jutting out.

“Oh.... I see,” she simply comments when she examines the scene and then Jinyoung's face. “Are you hurt anywhere?” Both boys shake their heads no. “That's good. I accept your offer and cut your pay. But accidents happen, so don't beat yourself up about it.” She cracks a smile before she turns around to return to her office.

“Amazing,” Mark murmurs behind him. “She would have beaten my ass and set me on fire for this. But just now she was so tame. Wow.”

“Honestly, I hoped it would work out this way. I was pretty scared of her reaction. My insides are still shaking.” A crazy snicker escapes Jinyoung's mouth. And when Mark sees the relief on his face, he just chimes in.

“Chances were fifty fifty. What if your parents would have read in tomorrow's newspaper 'Dragon boss killed employee after employee killed plates'?” he chuckles adorably.

“Then my mom would approve. In her opinion no punishment is hard enough for killing plates.”

Mark laughs only louder at that. It takes a few moments for him to calm down. But eventually he turns around and grabs a broom, starting to clean up. “I mean, it was your fault in the first place,” he says with a smug grin spreading on his face.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You even acknowledge it?” It's obvious that Mark wouldn't have expected Jinyoung's understanding.

“Of course. Sorry, it wasn't my intention to cause you any trouble.” Jinyoung tries to smile but the guilt on his face wins out.

“Nah, it's not that deep, really. And I will give you the money for these plates back. After all it really was me who dropped them.”

“No, it's fine. That's what I deserve. I will pay. It's okay.” He knows Jaebeom will nag the shit out of him for this, but seeing Mark's kind eyes, without the usual hint of disapproval in them, makes it seem like such a small price to pay.

A pretty and genuine smile suddenly appears on Mark's face. He looks directly at Jinyoung. The familiar twinkle in his eyes almost makes him melt on the spot. “Thank you for doing this. I don't mean the money... I'm talking about the thing with Lynn. Thank you. I mean it.”

His soft voice, Jinyoung missed it so much.

It strikes Jinyoung like a lightning bolt. It's not all the glitter and brightness of fairy Mark which enchanted him. It was his warmth. Always. The warmth in his eyes and his smile, his touches and his words. Relief surges through his veins. This revelation lifted a huge load off of his chest. He's still able to love Mark, human Mark. He only needs more of his typical warmth to revel in it. And once again his resolve is strengthened to bring out all of Mark's warmth and make it exclusively his own.

Belatedly he realizes that he stares back at Mark dumbly, not saying a single word. But he just assumes that his heart is beating loud enough for everyone in the building to hear.

“Wow,” Mark suddenly snickers, “look who's blushing now! You acted like such a player earlier, but actually you're just a baby. A blushy baby!”

And as he hears him say these familiar words from years ago, Jinyoung wants to start bawling right on the spot. Every time Mark does one of his little signature moves, it takes Jinyoung's breath away for a moment. It feels like fireworks going off in his chest, a mix of ultimate joy and immeasurable, heart-wrenching sadness.

“W-What else am I supposed to do when you attack me with your smile like this?” Jinyoung says meekly.

“You're seriously a lost cause.” Mark huffs a laugh and shakes his head again. “And now help me to clean up our mess.”

There's nothing Jinyoung would rather do. Together with him, he sweeps up all the broken pieces to throw them into the trash bin. It's also a good opportunity to steal many glances at Mark, whose face doesn't scream irritation anymore just because of Jinyoung's mere presence. Sure, a few plates had to die, but that was only a small sacrifice in exchange for this rush of contentment.

“Hey... uhm... Jinyoung?” Jinyoung's head jerks up at the way Mark says his name. His heart once again tries to exceed the speed limit. “Earlier, you said you know that I love to protect. What makes you think that?”

Oops, he was too careless again. He absolutely needs to fix his behavior or Mark will continue to think he's a weirdo. “Oh I... I'm an expert on knowing people. Believe me, I have humans all figured out.” Oops again, quoting fairy Mark might not be the right way of fixing his behavior, if Mark's knitted eyebrows are anything to go by.

“But how would you know-”

“Jinyoung? Is that you?”

Both of them turn around, with their brooms still clasped, upon hearing Jinyoung's name. And the person Jinyoung spots on the other side of the counter is the last person on earth he would have expected to see. It's Jaehyun.

“It's really you!” the other exclaims, a beaming smile on his face. “I was actually sure when I heard your voice and saw your unmatched back view. It's so good to see you.”

After what feels like an eternity of speechless panic-staring, Jinyoung slightly snaps out of it. “Jaehyun! What are you doing here?”

“I'm hungry, duh! And I saw this new place and wanted to grab a sandwich on my way home.”

The last person he needs here right now is Jaehyun. Their story had an encore after high school. When Jinyoung met him again after their last dramatic encounter in school, it felt so odd. They ran into each other at university information day. Jinyoung went to this fair to decide which university would offer him the best education to realize his future plans. Never did he expect to meet the ex school prince there of all people. The first thing Jaehyun did when he caught sight of Jinyoung was running towards him to hug him tightly. Then he begged for forgiveness before Jinyoung could even move or say a single word to him. Jaehyun explained how he belatedly realized what an immature brat he was and how his behavior towards Jinyoung was inexcusable. The mistakes he made turned into painful regret. Jinyoung wasn't mad at him anymore. He grew out of it a long time ago. So after his lengthy apology Jinyoung had no qualms about forgiving him.

They started talking, informing each other how they have been doing and what was currently going on in their lives. And then Jinyoung didn't exactly know how it happened, but they ended up in bed together. This came as a surprise, even to Jinyoung himself. But maybe he liked the idea of having another person in his life who remembered Mark. At least that's what he tells himself today.

They started to see each other on a regular basis and spent more time together. Jinyoung didn't call it dating. And he didn't call it a relationship, the thing he had with Jaehyun. That was until Jaehyun informed him otherwise. He remembers vividly how raging mad Jaebeom was at him. In his opinion it was a mistake to forgive Jaehyun, let alone fucking with him. Jinyoung didn't care much. Frankly speaking, he only cared about few things since Mark vanished from his life. So he continued whatever it was he had with Jaehyun. But eventually Jinyoung realized that this was just another distraction. The feeling of emptiness was still there as prominent and dark as it was before. He went in with hope, but he had to admit that he wasn't emotionally involved even after months of seeing Jaehyun. The break-up was inevitable. And Jinyoung just moved on, listlessly searching for the love of his life, when he already knew that all he ever wanted was Mark.

“Okay,” Jinyoung mumbles. He tries his best to slide himself in front of Mark. “I'm gonna make you a sandwich. You still like tuna, right? Our tuna sandwiches are great. I'm going to make you one and you can wait over there.”

“Jinyoung... you're literally the sweetest person for still remembering my preferences,” Jaehyun sighs, a wistful smile on his lips.

“Uh-huh, yeah fine. Wait over there. I'll be with you in a minute.”

What he only notices now is that Mark in the meantime emerged from his shadow to position himself next to Jinyoung. Now he beholds their new guest with open curiosity. And to Jinyoung's dismay, Jaehyun stares back before he can convince him to wait for his sandwich at the table in the far corner of the room.

“Oh my god..... _Mark_?”

“Uhm, yeah?”

“Oh wow, it's been an eternity. I didn't know you were back in town?”

“ _Back_ in town?” Confusion is plastered all over Mark's face. Jinyoung already starts to sweat. “Excuse me, do we know each other?”

“Yes! Come on, we were in high school together? Not for very long though, before you helped to get me kicked out,” he chuckles.

“I am sorry, but I think you got the wrong person.”

“Erm... what? Jinyoung, what is going on?” Now Jaehyun looks just as confused as Mark does, and both guys are looking at Jinyoung, demanding answers.

“Nothing? I don't know what you're talking about.” Jinyoung tries to laugh it off. “We will make you a great sandwich and then you can go home.”

“I had no idea Mark was back in town, not to mention you being back in touch with him.” Can Jaehyun stop causing him problems? Jinyoung now sweats heavily, mind racing to find a solution for this messy situation. He glances to the side. Mark shoots him a weird look and tilts his head to the side, looking adorable as ever. Jinyoung is about to go all soft and mushy, but then he remembers that he is currently facing an emergency situation. “Hey Mark, just how pissed are you that I got together with Jinyoung after all?” Jaehyun asks with a smug smile and props himself against the counter. Damn, Jinyoung thinks, this guy really spells trouble.

Mark scrunches up his eyebrows when he asks, “So you are a couple?”

“No!” Jinyoung blurts out. “That was a long time ago and basically we weren't a real couple.”

“Excuse me,” Jaehyun interjects, smile now gone form his face, “but it was last autumn and I'm sure that we had a real break-up like a real couple in a real relationship.”

Jinyoung squirms under their scrutinizing gazes. He needs to resolve the situation quickly. “Who cares about old news, when you are almost starving, right? Please sit down and wait for your sandwich.” An unnatural laugh follows his statement. Jinyoung is completely rattled at this point.

“Jinyoung, why do you look so stressed? Is everything okay? Are you not feeling well?” Jaehyun reaches out to gently brush Jinyoung's dark bangs from his face, worry evident in his eyes.

But before Jinyoung can even respond in any way, Mark interferes and swats Jaehyun's hand vehemently away.

“He was fine before. Maybe _you_ make him uncomfortable,” Mark grumbles. Jinyoung is as surprised as Jaehyun looks right now, after the sudden meddling.

“ _Me_?” Jaehyun asks, looking thoroughly incredulous.

“Yeah! So sit down and wait for your fucking sandwich! Then you finally can leave,” Mark almost growls now.

“Uh.... I don't think it's _me_ who makes Jinyoung uncom-”

“Or just leave _now_! I don't care!”

“Mark!” All of them turn towards the doorway at the sound of Lynn's voice. “You are not going to be rude to our guests! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“But Lynn! He was-”

“Shut up and get in the back. I think you need a break.”

“Go back into your den, dragon lady. You don't have any business here,” he replies rebelliously.

“This is my shop, dumbass. Better do what I say or I'm going to inform mom and dad about your behavior. And I will use the word sabotage.”

Mark mutters something under his breath. After glaring at Jaehyun once again, he stomps away, in the direction of the break room. Lynn chases after him, obviously not yet done with her brother.

“I have no idea what just happened here, Jinyoung, but I think we should meet up and talk soon,” Jaehyun suggests.

Jinyoung doesn't really fancy the idea, but does he even have a choice? It makes sense that Jaehyun is confused and has some questions. So he just nods his head and hopes for the best. Maybe he can serve Jaehyun a few white lies and it would be okay.

And while he should feel stressed about Jaehyun's sudden appearance, his mind is busy replaying the scene of Mark growling at the other guy. A familiar warmth spreads throughout Jinyoung's body. Yes, he silently confirms, Mark still loves to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, anyone still reading this? ⚆ _ ⚆


	14. 2.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize beforehand for writing yet another time about sweets, especially chocolate. I'm weak. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

“Hey Jinyoung.... uhm.... do you have a minute?” Mark asks when he enters the shop through the doorway, already adorned with the lime green apron.

“You're here! _On time!_ ” Jinyoung gasps.

“Could you please not make a fuss just because I turn up on time for my shift?” Mark groans.

“It's just.... unusual.”

“Oki, I got it. I have a problem with my time management. I'm working on it.”

“Great, because every minute more I can spend together with you is a good minute,” Jinyoung purrs.

“Oh no.... you're at it again.” Mark looks like he's fed up already, but Jinyoung thinks it's cute. “I need to talk to you about something serious though. Do you think we can arrange that?”

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead! I'm listening.”

Jinyoung leans against the counter. His eyes are following Mark, who slowly comes closer to mimic Jinyoung's posture across from him. There's no way in hell that it could slip Jinyoung's attention, the way Mark massages the inside of his wrist. For the umpteenth time his heart makes a somersault in his chest upon seeing a familiar gesture, just to crack a little more when landing.

“Look, Jinyoung, when your friend dropped by here yesterday-”

“My _friend_?”

“Jaehoon?”

“Jaehyun! I wouldn't call him _friend_. We're not that close,” Jinyoung downplays quickly.

“Well, then your ex-boyfriend-”

“Okay, maybe it's better to call him _friend_.” Jinyoung somehow likes it better when Mark wouldn't be constantly reminded of his fling with Jaehyun.

“Whatever! My point is, I went overboard yesterday. It wasn't my place to interfere. I'm sorry. My behavior was unacceptable. I don't even know why I reacted this way because your..... _friend_ didn't do anything wrong.”

“Oh....uhm... I don't mind your interference though.”

“No, it really wasn't necessary to be this aggressive. I'm not usually like this. I don't know what's gotten into me. It's not like I have anger issues or something. I can't pinpoint it, but something about him made me really mad.”

“Don't worry, he has this effect on people,” Jinyoung tries to joke to lighten the mood. But if he's honest, he thinks it's a little disheartening that Mark wants to apologize. After all Jinyoung was glad that he butted in.

“No really, usually I give people a fair chance. But since the second I first heard his voice, I felt like throwing punches.”

Now Jinyoung doesn't feel like joking anymore. The idea, that the cordial dislike fairy Mark had for Jaehyun still lives somewhere deep inside human Mark, lets the possibilities whirl around in Jinyoung's head.

“Though I was genuinely thankful for your interference. The situation was bit difficult, to be honest,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“Did you break up on bad terms?” Jinyoung is surprised to see so much worry in the other's eyes. He didn't even expect Mark to care at all, but now he even asks for him to elaborate. Though Jackson said Mark is usually a sweetheart. And it's not like Jinyoung wouldn't know this sweet and caring side of him from back then. He's just astonished that human Mark cares enough about him to show so much interest, despite his defensive attitude towards him so far.

“Uhm, it's not that. But it was the first time we met each other after the break-up. We didn't really talk for months, and he still acted so intimately.... I was surprised.”

“So he really made you feel uncomfortable!” Mark exclaims.

“In more than one way, yes. Still I'm glad you didn't throw punches. I really don't want to witness how Lynn sets you on fire.”

“She always acts brave but it's not like I'm seriously scared of her,” Mark claims, full of confidence.

“No, you're just scared of the tea she could spill to your parents,” Jinyoung snickers.

“Aarrghh, this evil witch! She takes advantage of the fact that my parents could cut my study grant.”

“But would your parents actually do this?”

“I don't know. Probably not? That's the threat they always use when they want me to do chores at home or to dress like a law student for family gatherings.” He sticks his tongue out in disgust at the thought of it. “But since I assume they wouldn't ruin my dream on purpose, I don't think they'll actually do anything like this. Let's say I just don't want to face trouble at home when Lynn is in the mood for snitching. It's bothersome. Also my parents could still cut on my extra money and that would hurt.”

“I see,” Jinyoung agrees. “Good reasoning. What is your dream?”

“Right now I'm doing my bachelor's degree. Bachelor of science in professional aviation, to be exact,” he says proudly.

“Excuse me, what?”

A smile that could illuminate the entire building appears on his face. His eyes radiate with enthusiasm. “I'm going to be a pilot, Jinyoung. I will _fly_!”

Jinyoung's jaw drops. The boy who once had shimmering, waferthin wings, which could carry him anywhere, now tells him that his biggest dream is to fly again. Jinyoung doesn't know if he should laugh, cry or hide in shame. Those few words throw him into an emotional turmoil. What was a natural part of Mark once has been stolen from him. And subconsciously something deep within him still yearns for it.

Mark has given up his wings to be with him. And Jinyoung now wonders if it's his fault. Did he rob from Mark what so obviously makes him happy? The thought alone is heart shattering.

“Are you okay?”

Not the casual-sounding words let Jinyoung snap out of his mini meltdown. It's the emphatic look in Mark's doe eyes. Jinyoung knows he has to get his act together. He can't break down now, sobbing a desperate apology for taking his wings from him. It's unchangeable anyway, so Jinyoung better learns to live with the guilt somehow.

“Yeah, sure. Sorry! I think it's amazing. An amazing dream. You really gonna be a pilot. That's crazy.”

“Crazy? You don't think I can do it?”

“I personally think you could do anything, Mark. I meant 'crazy' in a sense of 'crazy, I don't know a single person who is brave enough to become a pilot'.”

“Oh... oki. Now you know one. Though it's not _that_ brave.”

“It's a great responsibility. If you make a mistake later, it could cost people's lives and also your own. You can't fuck things up this big when you sit in front of a computer in some advertising company or something like that.”

“If you put it this way, I guess you're right,” Mark ponders. “But I really want to do it. And I _can_ do it. That's where I belong.”

“I think so too. You're obviously passionate and smart enough. You only have to improve your punctuality,” Jinyoung chuckles.

“I got it already, oki?!” Mark huffs and rolls his eyes. “But thanks for putting trust in me.”

“Always.” Jinyoung flashes him a soft smile. It's almost hard to believe that he has a real conversation with Mark. He feels like jumping for joy.

“Oh wait, we got off the subject. I still have questions. Your friend, Jaehyun, what was he talking about when he said stuff about me kicking him out of high school? Obviously I don't know him. Was he drunk or something?”

The pleasant feeling in Jinyoung's chest dissolves as quickly as it came. It's replaced with a slight feeling of panic. Jinyoung was hoping that he could sweep this issue completely under the carpet, but now that Mark asked this specific question there's no way he can avoid it. He thought of an explanation beforehand. Admittedly, not a very good one, but better than nothing.

“Uhm... you see, believe it or not, when we were in high school there was a student whose name was also Mark and he even resembled you a little bit. But he and Jaehyun weren't close back then, and now after years have passed, he obviously has confused you with him.”

“That's.... so strange.”

“Yeah, I know, but whatev-”

“So that was what happened in the store? You also mistook me for this high school Mark?” Mark tilts his head, his eyes so sharp as if they would try to dismantle Jinyoung. To his surprise it reminds him of Lynn's eagle-eye stare. But enough of him zoning out. He needs to focus on the problem at hand. Mark barely leaves him a choice. Jinyoung needs to go down this road, no matter if he likes it or not.

“Yeah,” he mumbles dejectedly. He hates to lie to Mark, but every other option would make it only more difficult.

“I see, so you had something going on with him?”

“Well... we were close in high school, but he moved away and I have lost touch with him.”

“Huh... but you're still hitting on me as if I'd be this high school Mark? That's super weird.”

“No!” Jinyoung wishes he were somewhere else. He's mentally squirming so bad right now. “It's not like that. At first I thought you were him, I admit it. But I realized quickly that you are very unique and not any less charming or.... _warm_.”

“Seems like you have an addiction to Marks,” the other snickers. And Jinyoung is a little relieved since it doesn't look like Mark would label him a weirdo again. Still he's lying and it causes an uproar of emotions and concerns. It's draining. Lots of messed-up thoughts make his head and shoulders heavy with tiredness. It would be so nice to go back to sleep. But Mark is still here and Mark is also still willing to talk to him. And as long as he has this much, Jinyoung won't break. That's a promise he makes to himself right then and there.

“Yeah,” he confirms with a faint smile, “seems like it. Though I hope you'll be my last Mark. I don't plan to have any others after you.”

“Hold on! You don't have anything here. It's not like we have anything going on,” Mark is quick to respond after Jinyoung's flirty comment.

“I think we've gotten a lot closer already. You live in my mind rent-free since I met you. It's just a question of time until you return the favor.” Now Jinyoung presents his best smirk to him.

“Aahh, I see. You're back at your weird flirting game. Well whatever, we have guests so it's time to get to work.”

And it's true. A group of three guys, probably all in their twenties, enter the shop. Jinyoung runs a quick scan. Two of them are mediocre, but the third one is hot as hell. And to Jinyoung's dismay, they grab one of Mark's tables.

From the corner of his eye Jinyoung sees how the other is already reaching for the menus. He knows he has to act quick, and so he slides himself right in front of Mark and grabs the menus instead.

“Let me do this. I'm super motivated. You're probably tired from.... being on time today. You should rest a little.”

“Jinyoung come on, it's _my_ table.”

Mark seems slightly annoyed, so Jinyoung tries to counteract with an even bigger, more reassuring smile. “It's fine, it's fine. Just watch how hardworking and gentlemanly I am.” He offers Mark one of his clumsy winks before he hurries away.

Jinyoung is proud of himself. It turns out the hot guy is one hell of a flirty bastard. And when Jinyoung thinks of Mark's bright energy when he handles guests, he's even more relieved. This hot bastard would have flirted with Mark without thinking twice. And under no circumstances Jinyoung would stand at the sidelines, watching this happening.

Despite still thinking that his interference was a good idea, Mark once again is oddly quiet for the rest of their shift. It's a little disheartening. He had such a good feeling about their conversation earlier. Now it seems like Jinyoung has dreamed it up.

Eventually Jaebeom and Jackson arrive for their turn. After a short greeting, he follows Mark into the small break room to take off the apron and grab his stuff. Jinyoung is mulling for a while over another conversation starter. All the more he's surprised when Mark addresses him first.

“Jinyoung, we need to talk.”

“Yes! Let's have another talk!” Jinyoung agrees with too much excitement. “Alright! I'm suggesting that we talk over dinner. It's on me. Do you like Italian food? Chinese?”

“I mean _now_!”

“Or maybe Japanese food? Japanese is fine with me. There is this good restaurant just down the-”

“Jinyoung, I don't want to go out with you.”

“Oh...”

“Look, I need to talk with you about the work here. This is your _job_. I don't expect you to take it as seriously as a job in a hospital or at the court or something. But it's still your place of work and not some nightclub.”

“What are you talking about?” Jinyoung is at a loss with Mark's statement. The other's face looks so serious, but Jinyoung has no idea what he might have done wrong.

“The way you take every table with good-looking guys? It's really conspicuous, you know? And to be honest, it's also a little pathetic. Why are you so desperate? I actually thought you were better than that.”

“Oh....,” Jinyoung answers with little eloquence because all the other words flew out of the window just now. How could this go so incredibly wrong? How could Mark misinterpret his behavior in such a disastrous way? Jinyoung's mouth opens and closes without actually saying a word. He just doesn't know what to answer in all his helplessness, so he just gives Mark a pleading look.

Mark eventually heaves a sigh . His crossed arms drop to his sides. “See, I don't say you're not allowed to flirt. If you meet somebody nice here, why not? But every single guy who even looks remotely good? That's a bit... well, anyway. You're a good-looking and nice guy yourself, so I don't think you have to be so desperate, oki?”

Jinyoung looks at Mark with wide eyes, still temporarily speechless. He wishes he could snap out if it but the shock paralyzed him. Mark thinks he's some kind of pickup artist, when Jinyoung is pretty much the opposite.

“Well, please think about it,” Mark says when he apparently assumes that there won't come words from Jinyoung anymore. He pats him on the back in a friendly manner. “See you tomorrow.”

And when Mark turns towards the door Jinyoung's brain finally jumpstarts. “Wait!” The other turns back around, a half surprised and half doubtful look in his eyes. “You understood this whole thing wrong.”

“Care to explain?”

“Yes, I'd love to. I know you already came to a conclusion, so it might be hard to believe. But please give me a fair chance to explain myself.” Mark slowly nods, prompting Jinyoung to keep talking. “You are aware that I'm hitting on you, that's good, because I do. A lot. And I mean it. But I'm not hitting on anybody else. The reason why I cover the tables with hot male guests is not because I want to flirt with them. I'm afraid they would try to flirt with _you._ And... yeah... I don't want you to fall for anybody who isn't me.” He knows this sounds a little pathetic but at least it's the truth, even if it's not glorious.

Mark tilts his head to the side while he processes Jinyoung's words. It takes a while but then his doubtful look returns. “You're crazy.”

“I guess I'm crazy for you,” he makes an attempt to bring a smile to his face. But Mark isn't smiling. He rolls his eyes.

“ _If_ this is your reason-”

“It _really_ is!”

“Fine,” Mark huffs. “So the reason for your behavior is ridiculous. Just cut it out. I think _you_ know best that I'm not easily charmed by just anyone.”

“Ouch, that stings, you know?”

“That was intended.”

“Now this really hurts.”

“Jinyoung,” Mark sighs, “just stop being so overambitious and.... slightly crazy.”

“Some people would say that's romantic,” Jinyoung suggests, flaunting his pouty lips.

“Then maybe you should try to hit on these people.”

“No, I only want to hit on you,” Jinyoung whines.

“Jeez, Jinyoung, what am I supposed to do with you?” Mark nags and throws his hands up in sheer desperation.

“Oh... there are many things you could do with me... or _to_ me.”

Jinyoung sees the hint of a smile. It was only there for a split second before Mark could suppress it. “You're too much. I will go home now.” He turns towards the door again.

“Hey Mark? Are we good?” Jinyoung asks, now completely serious.

“I guess so.”

(*≧ω≦*)

“Jinyoung! I'm glad you could make it.”

Jaehyun jumps up from his chair when Jinyoung approaches his table in the cozy little coffee shop. This enthusiastic reaction earns him curious stares of other guests. But it appears that Jaehyun doesn't pay them any mind. His bright smile is still in place, his eyes firmly trained on Jinyoung. The latter decides to refrain from initiating a big greeting ritual and simply slides into the seat across from him. Jaehyun's face falls after Jinyoung's reserved reaction. He sits back down. Jinyoung wonders if he should have hugged him. Or would a handshake be more appropriate? He doesn't even know, the situation is just so awkward.

“Hey,” Jinyoung greets him and a close-lipped smile follows.

“Hi, Jinyoung, it's good to see you. I ordered an iced vanilla latte for you. It's still you fave, right?”

“Yeah, I still like it. Thanks.” Jaehyun's smile and vigilant eyes are making Jinyoung nervous. He really doesn't know what to expect from this talk.

“Weather is good today.”

Jaehyun snorts a laugh. “It's midsummer. Of course weather is good. I didn't ask you to meet me for some meaningless small talk.”

“Sorry, I was just stating facts.” Jinyoung pulls a face. He feels his shoulders stiffen, getting more uncomfortable with each passing moment. But Jaehyun looks back at him with a soft smile on his face.

“You're still so cute.”

“I'm an adult now. People can't keep calling me cute my entire life.”

“You're a special case. You always will be cute and people will always tell you. I can't be the only one. How many people have told you that you're cute within the last two weeks?”

Jackson, Lynn, Jaebeom, his mother, though Jinyoung thinks his mother doesn't really count. Still, there are too many people on that list. “Well, whatever.”

“So cute.”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes. Luckily the waitress is bringing their coffee beverages now so he at least can occupy himself with something.

“So what is going on with Mark?” Jaehyun asks without further ado after he took a sip of his latte macchiato.

“Nothing? He's doing well.”

“Jinyoung, I mean why isn't he remembering me? Or is it just an act?”

“He suffers from selective memory loss.”

Jaehyun bites the inside of his cheek while he studies Jinyoung suspiciously. “You're kidding me and I have no idea why, when I asked an absolute serious question.”

Of course it's a lie, but not a 100% lie. Mark truly can't remember their past while he still remembers all of his little habits. Jinyoung thinks 'selective memory loss' is a good name to call it, and therefore it's only a 50% lie. He can't tell Jaehyun the truth. Even if he would, there's no way the other would believe this fairy tale-like story. “Why am I kidding you? It's selective memory loss. It happens in this world, no?”

“I know, but not to people who I know.”

“Yeah, it never happens to people who you know, until it does. Surprising how life works, huh?”

“Okay, if you don't want to tell me, I'm going to find out by myself.”

“What the fuck, why? I mean, I already told you and there's nothing left to find out, but also _why_? Why are you suddenly so curious about Mark?”

Jinyoung narrows his eyes when Jaehyun bites down on his bottom lip. What is going on in his head? Just this short exchange of words got Jinyoung all riled up. And he has a feeling that there is a lot more trouble to come.

“Jinyoung, I was pretty much all over the place back then in high school. You know it best. I didn't know who I was and who I wanted to be. I couldn't accept myself. I couldn't even pay much attention to things outside my own orbit. But now, matured and with a clear mind, I absolutely realized how hot Mark is.”

“No!” Jinyoung gasps. He straightens himself in his seat so quickly that his stomach bumps against the edge on the table, rattling their glasses with his abrupt movement.

“Huh?”

“You won't make a move on him!”

And then Jaehyun breaks into a fit of giggles. “You should see yourself, Jinyoung. So flustered! Aahh, this was fun.”

“Asshole!” Jinyoung mutters when he realizes that it was just play-acting.

“Seriously, I wanted to drag it out for much longer but you're just so adorable, all jumpy and worked up. I knew the thought of your exes together would weird you out.”

“Glad I could provide you with some amusement.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he snickers upon Jinyoung's sarcastic statement.

“It was a mistake to come here.”

“No, it wasn't!” The smile is wiped off Jaehyun's face in a heartbeat, replaced with seriousness and a hint of nervousness.

“Can you please tell me why we're here?” Jinyoung sighs tiredly. “I guess you're not really curious about Mark.”

“Partly I am. But that's not the main reason why I asked you to meet me.” Again he bites the inside of his cheek. It's his little habit while putting together his thoughts. It has been this way since high school. “Seeing you again was surprising. I wasn't prepared. But I felt so genuinely happy. Some feelings welled up which I thought were buried deep enough.”

Jinyoung squirms in his seat. He doesn't like the direction where this is heading. And he doesn't like the way Jaehyun looks at him, as if he tries to see the thoughts in Jinyoung's head.

“Jaehyun.... what are you saying?”

“I want another chance with you.”

Jinyoung almost chokes on his spit but manages to blurt out, “That's crazy!”

“How is this crazy? We were in a relationship before.” Jinyoung's reaction causes a frown to pass across his face, even though he senses how hard Jaehyun tries to keep his expression neutral.

“Jaehyun, we're over.”

“That was a very onesided decision and I realized I'm still not okay with it.”

“We weren't good together,” Jinyoung reasons.

“Excuse me, but I actually think we were excellent together.”

“No.... no.... this relationship never had a real chance. I wasn't in it with my whole heart.”

“How is this _my_ fault?”

“I don't say it is. I just say that we better stay friends.... or something.” Jinyoung still has qualms about seeing them as typical friends. Their past was too rocky in too many ways.

“But now you realized your mistake. You are aware that you haven't given me your 100%. So let's start over and you gonna have a second chance to be a good boyfriend.”

“No, you don't understand-”

“Don't I deserve a fair chance, goddammit?” Every attempt to stay neutral apparently flew out of the window. Jaehyun is agitated and obviously confused. His lack of incomprehension towards Jinyoung's words and reasons seems to put him in a state of turmoil.

Jinyoung tries to stay calm, tries to make him understand. No need to start a shouting match. “Of course you do, but not with me. I can't give you what you want and deserve.”

“Why not, Jinyoung? _Why_?”

“Mark.”

For a few seconds it seems like Jaehyun is about to turn into ash and crumble right in front of his eyes. But eventually he huffs a bitter laugh. “It's always him, huh? _Always_ , _always_ him. I'll never have a chance as long as he is even remotely in the picture, huh?”

“I can't deny this,” Jinyoung admits meekly.

“I can't believe it! You were absolutely miserable for such a long time after Mark moved away. You told me yourself! You said you were happy with him-”

“And it's still true!”

“But he left you, Jinyoung. He just left you and broke your heart and didn't care about you anymore. And now he's back and you chase after him again? It's like I don't even know you. Why are you so stupid?”

“I told you he had good reasons for leaving. It never was his intention to hurt me.”

“That's what a lovesick fool would say. Stop defending this cold-hearted bastard-”

“Says the one who threw stones at me once,” Jinyoung snorts. Yes, Jinyoung wanted to stay calm, but he won't just sit here and listen to Jaehyun mindlessly insulting Mark.

“You have forgiven me for that!” he shrieks as if Jinyoung said something outrageous.

“That's right. But as somebody who made such a mistake back then, you should stop dragging other people for their actions in the past.”

“Fine! Fair enough,” he huffs sulkily. “So what is going on between you two now? You're not a couple, right?”

“No, not yet,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“What if he doesn't want you back?”

“I'm working on it, okay?”

“Jinyoung, I asked you _what if?”_

“That's actually none of your business.”

“You getting defensive only tells me that you don't have a plan. I'm just saying that I would take care of you properly. I would treasure you like you deserve it. No compromises. No worrying. No what ifs.”

“You don't understand this, Jaehyun,” he sighs. “I truly appreciate your concerns, I really do. But there's no way I can't be with Mark.”

“Oh please stop obsessing over him. You're better than that.”

“You're here to ask for another chance and dare to call _me_ obsessed?”

“That's completely different!”

Jaehyun is right. It is different. The difference is even striking, but not in the way he thinks. Mark entered this world as a human because of Jinyoung and for Jinyoung. For him, the former fairy will never be just another guy. It is the guy. The only one.

“Please explain it to me?”

“I know we work out. You and Mark though, that didn't go well. He just hurt you. He used you. You never meant anything to him.”

Jinyoung shakes his head in disbelief. He has no idea how Jaehyun comes up with those things. The only way he knows about his short relationship with Mark is because Jinyoung himself has told him. But he never mentioned any details, just like he never told him that Mark has intentionally hurt him. Basically he has no idea at all what went down between him and Mark. So Jaehyun seems to have pieced together a good story which fits his own needs best.

Jinyoung goes rigid, his face overtaken by graveness when he looks back at Jaehyun with cold eyes. “Stop judging what you don't know the first thing about.”

Jaehyun winces at his words. Jinyoung is dead serious and the other is now realizing it. So Jaehyun seems to give up on his opprobrious allegations. “Jinyoung,” he sighs softly. Jinyoung's hands are encircling his glass to revel in the warmth of his hot beverage. So it's rather surprising when Jaehyun reaches out to snatch one of his hands, holding it tightly in his. “I'm just worried about you.”

Jinyoung pulls his hand back, resting both of them in his lap. “No need to, I'm a big boy.”

“Big boys also can get hurt.”

“I repeat, I can't not be with Mark. Period. Please understand that. And if you can't support me, please stop popping into my life.” Jinyoung's voice is slightly softer now, but his words not any less serious.

Again Jaehyun bites the inside of his cheek. How abused the flesh must be by now, that's the random thought which occurs to Jinyoung. He ponders over this for a while until Jaehyun slumps in his chair and aggressively ruffles his own hair. That's when Jinyoung realizes that he was zoning out again while the other was thinking hard about his given options.

“Jinyoung...... this really hurts. You mean so much to me. And hearing you say all these things.... this is a punch right in the gut,” Jaehyun stammers. He looks so miserable that Jinyoung can't stop himself from averting his gaze. “I can't promise anything yet. I still want you in my life, but.... it's so difficult to see you with someone else.”

“I won't hold it against you, if you can't do it.”

“As I said, I want to have you in my life, in any form whatsoever. But I need time to think about this.”

The heated conversation calmed down quickly, the mood now gloomy but conciliable. “Take your time. Let me know, if I can do anything.... if you have more questions, for example.”

“First of all you could stop being so nice, okay? You make it harder for me,” Jaehyun groans, a wry smile on his lips.

“Well, when it concerns a friend, I don't see a reason to stop being nice.” Jinyoung's smile is tiny, but soft.

“Alright, I'll let you know when I'm done thinking.”

(*≧ω≦*)

Jinyoung hears the door clicking shut. He raises himself to a sitting position on their comfortable couch to spot Jaebeom entering their shared living room. When their eyes meet, Jinyoung greets him with a smile. He actually waited for his return.

“Hey lover boy, how was your date?”

And to Jinyoung's relief, a wide and lazy smile spreads across his best friend's face as he plops down on the couch next to him.

“It was good. So good. We talked a lot and it felt nice, easy. He's so incredibly sweet and entertaining and all his thoughts are so refreshing. He's good-natured to the core and he's.... he's just so much Jackson. I missed him so much. But this felt like it felt when I was spending time with him back then.”

“So it felt different from working a shift together?”

“Absolutely. I mean, we called it a date for a reason. We took our time. And it was so much more intimate. I had the feeling that he really let go of his doubts to engage with me. He even let me hold his hand for a while to see how it feels. And he said it wasn't strange or anything. He actually liked it.”

Never did Jinyoung witness his best friend raving about somebody like he raves about Jackson now. The former fairy once again charmed his way into Jaebeom's heart. “Ooooh, look who's on cloud nine?!” Jinyoung coos. “I'm happy for you. It sounds like a huge step in the right direction. So what's next?”

“We agreed on a second date.”

“To do what?”

“We didn't define goals or anything. I still don't want him to feel pressured to do anything. Even if one date was good, he's still not obligated to fall for me. We're taking things very slow. Our relationship should grow naturally. And I want him to feel at ease and involved at every step along the way.”

“That sounds heavenly, like you pulled it out of a Nicholas Sparks novel.”

“Please don't make fun of my efforts.”

“Not intended. I'm in awe about the way you only ever switch on your romantic side when it's Jackson.”

“What should I say?! He's still magical in his own way.”

“He sure holds a special power over you,” Jinyoung comments with a smirk on his face.

Jaebeom raises an eyebrow, obviously contemplating if he should react to his teasing. But instead he says, “So how was _your_ date?”

“Ugh... please don't call it a date,” Jinyoung whines, the smirk gone from his face even quicker than it appeared.

“Fine.... how was the meeting with your bully-ex?”

“That's only slightly better.” Jinyoung scowls thoroughly at him, but Jaebeom only shrugs his shoulders. “I told him the selective-memory-loss-story.”

“Did he believe you?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. Probably not. But he didn't dig much deeper.”

“No? I thought that's why he wanted to meet you in the first place. Then what did he want?”

“He asked me to get back together with him?”

“What the fuck?”

“Yes.”

“He wants to convince you to start over, while Mark is within your reach?” Jinyoung nods his head. “Good luck, bully loser!” Jaebeom snorts. “Wait, you did say no to him, right?”

“Of course I did!”

“God, for a second I thought I had a stroke. No... okay... you said no, that's good. Glad you weren't as soft as you were when you have forgiven him.”

“Don't bring this up again.”

“It was a total mistake to forgive him his bullying. Now you're stuck with him. Just saying.”

“Great. People always love it when somebody tells them afterwards 'I told you so',” Jinyoung grumbles.

“I see, you understand that I was right and you were wrong.”

“Jaebeom, please...,” Jinyoung groans. This conversation with Jaehyun earlier was exhausting enough. He doesn't need a complacent smart-ass best friend in addition.

“Fine, fine,” he snickers and playfully squeezes Jinyoung's upper arm. “You know, Jaehyun is kind of a tragic figure, if you ask me.”

“How so?”

“You know how he was the school prince and most students either wanted to be _with_ him or plainly wanted to _be_ him. But it was only looks and pretense. That was all what people have liked him for. And when you grow older you realize that looks alone are just not it anymore. You need to bring at least a bit of an amiable personality and a working brain to the table, otherwise you don't stand a chance. Most adults like it when their partner and friends are sensible and have a good heart, instead of just school-prince-looks. And to be honest, those looks are fading already.”

“Hmmm, there's some truth to it. Though Jaehyun isn't a dumb or bad person per se.”

“But his personality is ambiguous. He might be nice most of the time but you know best what he's capable of and how he builds his own truths sometimes.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jinyoung sighs and runs his fingers through his hair.

“Also you say he isn't dumb per se, but still, he always comes running back to you. How many times does he need to have his heart broken by you to learn?”

“Excuse me?” Jinyoung gasps.

“I mean, he had it all in high school. Back then he could have had just anyone, but he wanted _you_. But you didn't want him and broke his heart and then kicked him out of school. A few years later you meet him again, you forgive him, you say 'hey little monkey dance for me and get undressed', and then you break his heart again.”

Jinyoung gapes at his best friend with blatant indignation. It takes a while until he can speak actual words. “I never said something like 'dance for me' or.... anything you just claimed.”

“I embellished the story a little.”

“Embellished my ass! You-”

“Nope, your ass doesn't need any improvement. It's pretty fine the way it is.”

“Jaebeom,” Jinyoung grunts. “You're living dangerously today. Better watch out! And in your little _embellished_ story it wasn't mentioned that he only was nice to me to get into my pants or that he was ganging up against me with a bunch of bullies and threw fucking stones at me.”

“It was the synopsis. No time for details.”

“The fuck, Jaebeom? I just scored you a date with the love of your life and you can't even be on my side when it comes to Jaehyun?”

“Of course I'm on your side. He's an asshole and you're my best friend. I just try to look at it from his perspective. To be honest, I can't really understand how his brain works. And I find this scary. If I were him, I would freaking leave you alone. After the second heartbreak at the latest, I would have understood that there isn't a happy end for me and you. But he's obviously too dense to make good decisions, so he asks you to break his heart a third time. This guy is a psycho or something.”

“So what's your point?”

“He's a tragic figure _and_ a psycho. I would recommend to never even talk to him again but I know you're too soft to cut ties just like this. But don't get back together with him.”

“Okay, we discussed this point already. And it's not like I was giving him a reason to get his hopes up. I said to either support me, that includes my desire to be together with Mark again, or to not be part of my life anymore. He said he has to think about it.”

“Woah, daring move, Jinyoung. I'm proud of you. I hope he won't ambush you with a big knife or any other weapon next.”

“Can you stop scaring me? He isn't a criminal!”

“Psycho,” Jaebeom coughs and flashes him a fake innocent smile afterwards.

“Well, whatever,” Jinyoung simply dismisses him. To him, Jaehyun seemed to be rather prudent after Jinyoung explained his options to him, and not at all in a knife-attacking-psycho-mood.

“So how is it going with your prime target?”

“You mean Mark?”

“Yessir.”

“I'm not a sniper. Talk normal to me. God, is this already Jackson's influence on your chaos mind?”

“What are you talking about?” Jaebeom looks absolutely lost. Jinyoung can't blame him. He never told him about Lynn's theory of him and Jackson being a chaos couple, but to Jinyoung it makes more and more sense.

“Nothing, forget it. So with Mark, I don't know. It was going well with us, but since this wannabe intervention about the flirting it has gotten weirder again. I quickly need to restore my reputation.”

“But you showed him your flirty side on purpose, didn't you?”

“Yeah, and everything is just fine as long as I'm exclusively flirting with him. But if he thinks I'm flirting with any dick-equipped human, it all goes down the drain.”

“That makes sense. So do you have a plan?”

“I asked my mom to bake his favorite cookies from back then. I'm going to pick them up tomorrow before my shift.”

“You want to win his heart with cookies? Are you a 14-year-old school girl?”

“Are you somebody who better should shut up?! Let me help you. The answer is _yes,”_ Jinyoung snaps.

“Aaahhh, so sulky.”

“I just say you do yours, and I do mine. If you know a better way into Mark's heart, I'm listening. Though it would be quite disturbing if you knew.”

“Calm down. Fine, I won't judge your ways. Just....” A brief look of sympathy flickers across his face as Jinyoung pouts at him. “Good luck with the cookies.”

“Thank you. I will do my best.”

(*≧ω≦*)

“So...” Jinyoung starts the intended conversation carefully. “Mark Tuan and confectionery, is this a thing?”

This question seems to do something to him. Not only seems Mark to prick his ears, no, at the question he suddenly stands up straighter than Jinyoung ever saw it.

“A _thing_? It's _the_ thing! We're a perfect team. It's their job to be delicious and it's my job to enjoy their exquisite taste. And I don't want to boast, but we're both great at our part of the job.”

Maybe human Mark enjoys sweets even more than fairy Mark did, Jinyoung contemplates while he's reveling in the other's childlike enthusiasm. Or maybe human Mark just knows more about all the different kinds of treats the world has to offer than fairy Mark was ever allowed to learn. Whatever it is, the way the twinkle in his eyes intensified at the mention of confectionery is just too adorable.

“Hey Lynn!” Mark addresses his sister. “Why don't we offer any desserts here? I mean, sandwiches are nice and all, but desserts along with them would make the experience priceless, you know?”

“Basically I didn't put desserts on the menu because I knew you would demolish half my stock every day,” she answers with a blank face.

“Such slander. Even I have my dessert limit.”

“Your dessert limit is as high as the sky. I witnessed your darkest moments, Mark. Don't think I forgot how you stuffed your face with more than half of grandma's vanilla buttercream cake, while everyone else gave up after only eating a small piece of it.”

“Whaaa- Lynn, don't say such things here!” Absolutely flustered, Mark's eyes dart between his gleeful sister and Jinyoung, who has trouble to suppress his laughter.

“ _Here?_ In front of Jinyoung you mean?” she purrs mischievously.

“No no no no no, that's not- it's just.... it's private, oki?”

Nope, this is too difficult. Mark is simply too adorable. Jinyoung can't hold back a snicker.

“Oh Markie, I have so many stories to tell about you. Hey Jinyoung, when I catch you alone next time you gonna have the time of your life.”

“Lyyyhyyyyynn! Stop embarrassing me!” Mark whines. Jinyoung wants to hug him so bad right now. But he knows that he definitely has to restrain himself when it comes to this.

“Fine, I stop for now, since I have things to do. And maybe I will launch some dessert options when you're back at university.” The smile on her face is wicked, the lines of disapproval in Mark's forehead are deep.

“Of course the dragon lady wouldn't share the good things. So selfish!”

“Whatever. Mourn all the desserts you can't steal from me, while I'm happy about all the money I save.”

“Eeew, nobody likes selfish, money-grubbing dragons.”

“Shut up and do your work, snotty brat, before I tell Jinyoung another story.” She thoroughly rolls her eyes, then turns around to disappear in her office.

“Anyway! I brought something with me today,” Jinyoung announces to get Mark's attention back. “Wait just a second!” That wiped the scowl off Mark's face. Instead he looks at Jinyoung with astonishment and curiosity, before the latter races to the break room to get his secret weapon. When he returns, he hides the open container behind his back. It's a true joy, the way Mark tilts his head to the side as he watches Jinyoung coming closer.

“What are you plan- OH MY GOD!” Mark squeals when Jinyoung reveals the secret and holds out the container to him. “Are these double chocolate chip cookies?”

Jinyoung beholds Mark with a soft smile. Jaebeom can judge all he wants but this expression on Mark's face tells him that his plan is bound to be successful. “Yep, I wanted you to enjoy some sweets at work. You love those cookies and they always manage to lift your mood.”

“You're right! I love double chocolate everything!” Mark cheers excitedly. “Wait.... how do you know all this?”

“I don't! I mean almost everybody loves sweets, right?! It's not that special.” Jinyoung laughs in the most unnatural way and inwardly curses himself for it. By now he can lie fairly well when he prepares for it, but impromptu lies are still a great challenge. Also when will he learn to not let slip information which he learned about fairy Mark? Just when?

“Okiiiiiii,” he says hesitantly and fixes Jinyoung with a slightly suspicious look. But as soon as he takes a bite of one of the offered cookies his mind is distracted.

“Wooow! These are amazing. Which brand is it?”

“It's Mommy Park's spectacular chocolate cookies.” An even wider smile spreads across Jinyoung's face as Mark stuffs the rest of the cookie into his mouth and chews with relish.

“Never heard of them,” he says and interrupts himself to lick some crumbs off his pink bottom lip. Jinyoung knows he shouldn't stare. He does it anyway. “It's an import, right? I'm pretty knowledgeable about the domestic cookie market.”

“Sorry, I meant that my mom, mommy Park, made them,” Jinyoung chuckles.

“Oh... now it makes so much more sense,” Mark agrees before he snatches another cookie. “You're lucky that your mom is making such tasty stuff. My mom only bakes supposedly healthy stuff, like some bamboo cake, without sugar, flour, eggs and taste.” He pulls a face and now looks like a grumpy toddler. “But your mom seems to know why sugar exists. Can she do more?”

“Yeah, she's basically a master of sweets,” Jinyoung affirms.

“That sounds good. Tell me more.”

Mark's interest is obviously piqued. He inches closer to Jinyoung as if he would pull his candy-juggling mom right out of his pocket next. Jinyoung is not the gloating type, but inwardly he already prepares a little victory speech which he will hold in front of Jaebeom later.

“She can make six different kinds of chocolate cake, and every single one is delicious.” Basically his mom didn't use to bake so much. But after Mark disappeared she delved deeper into the topic and practiced various new recipes. She found out that this was a way to cheer Jinyoung up a bit, mainly because everything sweet reminded him of Mark.

“Oh wow! Tell me your top three!”

“Hmmm, not easy but I will try. There's definitely the chocolate lava cake with the liquid core. Heavenly!” Mark nods his head enthusiastically. “Then there's the chocolate fudge cake, oh no wait, I prefer the chocolate peanut butter cake, I think.” Mark's mouth now falls open. His doe eyes seem to grow larger, brighter, a look of yearning in them. Jinyoung was wishing for a while now that Mark would look at him this way, but for an entirely different reason. “But nothing can beat her chocolate truffle cake.”

“Chocolate... truffle... cake?” Mark stammers. Jinyoung thinks he's about to drool on the floor.

“Yep! So it's not like I want to bribe you or anything, but for my boyfriend mommy Park would bake everything he's wishing for.” For good measure, Jinyoung shoots him another one of his clumsy winks.

“This is way more convincing than every single one of your corny pick-up lines.”

“Good! Please keep that in mind. And while you think about your options, take these as a free trial.” Jinyoung pushes the container into Mark's hands.

“Free trial? You make me sound like a sugar hoe,” he snorts.

Jinyoung smirks at him and playfully raises an eyebrow. “You don't want them?”

Mark quickly turns away to put the precious goods out of Jinyoung's reach. “You're crazy if you think I would give them back. No way! Free trial accepted.” A cheeky smile flashes over his face, which makes Jinyoung smile even wider.

It's going so smooth after that. They work together well in a nice and casual atmosphere. Little jokes and easygoing conversations make it feel like their shift is going by in the blink of an eye. Jinyoung regrets the look at his watch. Not even an hour is left, then he has to say goodbye to the other boy for today.

Is it too early to ask Mark out on a date? The mood between them is good now, but it still feels unstable. Right now it seems like even trivial reasons are enough for the mood to swing and turn against him.

Jinyoung snaps out of his thoughts when the shop door swings open and a young mother with her bawling kid enters.

“Oh look at this cute kiddo. Look, it's so sad. It has a hard time. Why? Whyyyyy?” Jinyoung whines to Mark.

“Is it possible that you have a soft spot for kids?” the other asks and raises an eyebrow to accompany the lifted corners of his mouth.

“Who doesn't? Just look at him!”

“I mean, yes, cute. But do you even appreciate kids when they are crying their eyes out?”

“Of course! Maybe I can do something about it.” Jinyoung grabs a menu and saunters towards their table. He has so much pity with the mother, since she seriously looks stressed.

“Hello, welcome to Yum-Yum Sandwich,” he greets, smiling at her, before he darts a glance at the still crying boy. He thinks the kid is probably about four or five years old. “Somebody really doesn't like to be here,” he jokes.

The young mother bows her head in apology. “No, that's not it. He was cranky all day over nothing. I tried everything to calm him down but nothing is working. Actually he isn't supposed to be hungry already, but food is my last option now. I hope it will help. I apologize for making such a commotion.”

“Ah, don't worry. We all have bad days sometimes, don't we?” Jinyoung flashes her an empathetic smile. Luckily it seems to help. She relaxes in her seat as tension leaves her shoulders. A small smile finds its way onto her face now.

“Yes, I guess that's true.”

“Can I try talking to him?”

“Of course! Please, try your luck. His name is Taesoo.”

Jinyoung crouches down beside the little boy's chair. He smiles sweetly at the kid when he chirps, “Hello Taesoo, I see you're in a bad mood. Can I do anything to make you feel better?”

To his surprise, the kid gives him attention. The boy falls calm in an instant. Thick crocodile tears still slide down his rosy cheeks, but his big, curious eyes are now blinking at Jinyoung. For now Jinyoung's smile just gets brighter while he waits for a response. Though the response he then receives isn't given in a verbal form. Instead Taesoo's chubby hand reaches for Jinyoung. Little, warm fingers are curling around his earlobe. Jinyoung feels a slight tug then.

“Mommy, it's Dumbo! He can flyyyyy!” the kid suddenly squeaks excitedly. His face lights up, no trace of sadness visible anymore.

Jinyoung sure is surprised at that, even more so when he hears Mark snorting with laughter behind the counter.

“Taesoo! That was rude. Please apologize to the nice boy,” his mother urges.

“It's fine, it's fine. I mean, Dumbo is a good guy. And he's kind of a superhero... I guess,” Jinyoung snickers. “So Taesoo thinks of me as a superhero, too? Okay, I'm not as powerful as Iron Man, but at least I can fly.”

“And you can make devastated kids stop crying. I wish I would own this superpower,” she jokes.

“Let's see if I can do even more.” Jinyoung flashes her a cheeky smile before he addresses the still fascinated boy once more. “Hey Taesoo, do you see this boy behind the counter?” Jinyoung points at Mark, who is obviously surprised about being dragged into the situation so suddenly.

The little boy trains his eyes on Mark. With a serious expression on his round face he simply comments, “A prince!”

“Oh yes, good observation, Taesoo. He looks like Prince Charming, right?”

With the unexpected compliment and attention Mark gets adorably flustered. But little Taesoo only nods his head before he explains completely unfazed, “Princes are boring. Dumbo is cool.”

Now it's Jinyoung's turn to giggle while a petulant frown passes across Mark's face.

“Taesoo, please behave!” his embarrassed mother begs.

But the kid didn't do anything wrong in Jinyoung's opinion. So he tries to put his cheer up-plan into action. “Taesoo, something great and miraculous is in the possession of this prince over there. Do you want to know what it is?” The curious little boy quickly nods his head. “He has magical cookies. They're very tasty and can make your mood better in seconds. If you ask nicely, he might share one with you. Do you want to try?”

Little Taesoo nods again, this time more vigorously. Jinyoung stretches his hand out to help him getting down from his chair. The little fingers grab the offered hand, full of trust and certainty. Together they pad their way behind the counter, coming to a stop in front of Mark. The latter seems to be a bit reluctant, standing there with a serious face and crossed arms. “So be brave and ask Prince Charming,” Jinyoung encourages the kid.

“No, it's Prince Boring,” the boy clarifies vehemently. Jinyoung bursts out laughing so uncontrollably that he almost loses his balance. Little Taesoo's straightforwardness combined with the affronted expression on Mark's face is too much to take.

“Well kiddo, there is one thing you need to learn,” Mark says after he regained his composure. He crouches down in front of the attentive boy. “Never get on the bad side of the person who has the cookies.”

Taesoo's eyes become even rounder when he stares back at Mark. But after five whole seconds of motionlessness, his face contorts with misery as fresh tears spring to his eyes. The boy woefully sobs, “Prince Meanie!”

Mark's jaw drops in surprise and helplessness. But Jinyoung's giggles only intensify.

“Mark, just give him the cookie,” he gasps.

“No! You said he is supposed to ask nicely. When did this happen, huh? Or was Prince Boring too slow to catch it?” Mark nags with feigned annoyance.

“Sorry, you're right,” Jinyoung confirms and now also crouches down, next to the boy. He wipes a few tears of joy from his eyes before he addresses the boy another time. “Hey, Taesoo, please listen to Dumbo. We agreed that you would ask like a nice boy, right?”

The kid again stops crying as if somebody pulled the plug. His round eyes are focused on Jinyoung while he's silently considering. Eventually he nods his head another time. Jinyoung offers him an encouraging smile and motions to Mark. The boy faces him, gathering his courage.

“Can I please have a magical good-mood-cookie?” he asks timidly.

“Please please,” Jinyoung mouths, looking just as pleadingly at Mark as the small boy.

“Now I can hardly refuse,” Mark sighs and straightens up.

“Yay! You did it, Taesoo!” Jinyoung cheers for the little guy and earns himself a satisfied smile.

Mark is already back at eye level with the kid, passing him the highly anticipated good-mood-cookie, wrapped in a napkin.

“Here you go, buddy. May your days be filled with happiness from now on.” Mark flashes him a side-lopped smile.

“Thanks Prince Boring! Thanks Dumbo!” the kid blurts out. In a heartbeat Taesoo turns around and races back to the table, where he excitedly tells his mother about the magical cookie and his great adventures behind the shop counter.

Mark and Jinyoung are still squatting down opposite each other. They start giggling in unison after realizing the ridiculousness of the situation. Eventually they stand up again and emerge from behind the counter.

It turns out that the magical cookie was all it needed to put Taesoo in a better mood. As a result his mother is basking in relief. After thanking both of them she leaves the shop with her little rascal, without ordering anything. Both, Mark and Jinyoung, hope that Lynn will never find out about this. She didn't earn money this time, and it's their fault.

Jinyoung is convinced this cute experience brought them closer together, but since Taesoo and his mother left, Mark has become monosyllabic again.

“Hey, you're so quiet. Is everything alright?”

“Sure.” Mark doesn't even glance at him when he wipes down the counter in preparation for the end of their shift.

“Nope, I don't believe you. By now I know what these kind of curt answers mean. What is it? Was it something that I said?”

Mark sighs exasperatedly before he stops what he's doing to face Jinyoung, his mouth forming a slight pout. “I can't believe you give me a present and then make me share it with other people. What kind of present is this?”

“This is about the cookies?! But.... it was a _kid_. A cute, wide-eyed, moody kid. You can't be sulky because of that,” Jinyoung reasons in astonishment.

“So what if I am?!” Now he even crosses his arms over his chest again. Not a good sign, Jinyoung knows.

“Wow.... and I thought I would be the more petty one of us two.”

“I'm not petty!” he defends himself. “At least.... usually.” The last part was just a meekly mutter. Jinyoung thinks it was adorable.

“But you made this little rascal really happy. That was nice, right? It made you happy as well, right?” he asks with a teasing grin on his face.

“It was oki. Not as happy as cookies make me.”

“But I can give you tasty cookies another time and won't make you share them ever again, okay?”

“But chocolate truffle cake would make me even happier than cookies,” Mark challenges playfully.

“Hmmmm, I can offer you the chocolate peanut butter cake. You see, the chocolate truffle cake is only meant for my boyfriend.”

“Apparently Dumbo can also be a meanie,” he comments, face blank.

“Somebody is dramatic, and I don't talk about Taesoo.”

“Well, somebody is going home with a big container full of magical good-mood-cookies, and it's also not Taesoo.” The smirk on Mark's face is as cheeky as it is adorable. He grabs the mentioned container and walks past Jinyoung towards the doorway which leads to the break room.

“Hey Mark?” The addressed boy turns around again, doe eyes twinkling at Jinyoung. “You would be an awesome dad, you know?”

He snorts a laugh at that, apparently slightly embarrassed but also flattered. “Thanks. I guess same goes for you.”

“Wow, it's sweet of you to return the compliment. Sweet, and so unexpected. You know, I have something on my mind regarding the parenting thing, but I'm not sure if you want to hear it.”

Mark tilts his head to the side, watching Jinyoung quizzically. A few moments later his eyes light up with realization. “When it is what I think it is, better stay quiet.”

“What do you think it is?” Jinyoung cautiously asks.

“That we would make a good team as parents?”

“Woah, I'm so glad you have the exact same impression,” Jinyoung playfully coos. The way panic spreads across Mark's face is too amusing.

“No, wait! That's what you-”

“You know what this means? We're basically soulmates!”

“Jinyoung, hold up! You just asked me what I think what you think-”

“Hey hey hey, I'm not responsible for your thoughts, okay? I didn't put them magically in your head. I'm not a wizard. I'm just Dumbo.” Unfortunately he can't suppress his laughter for much longer. Mark groans when he realizes that Jinyoung was just pulling his leg.

“You're really too much, Jinyoung.”

“Nah, I'm sure you could handle me, Prince.” And there goes another clumsy wink.

Mark rolls his eyes, but he doesn't even try to hide the smile on his lips. He's about to turn around again but stops. “And Dumbo? Prince Boring will be waiting for his chocolate peanut butter cake.” With a smirk on his face he walks off.

“Sure, after that Prince Boring will beg on his knees to get to the chocolate-truffle-cake-level with Dumbo,” he calls after him.

Mark already disappeared through the doorway, but Jinyoung hears him laughing. “We will see about that.” is the amused answer, which puts an even wider smile on Jinyoung's face.

Yes, today wasn't the ideal opportunity to ask Mark out. But Jinyoung still feels like they took huge steps towards each other. He takes a deep breath, smiling to himself. An achievement was made.


	15. 2.4

“Good morning,” Jinyoung chirps when he pokes his head in the kitchen of his family home.

His mom turns around, wearing a bright smile. “Sweetie! I didn't even hear you come in.” Jinyoung enters the kitchen, mirroring her smile. His mother lifts herself up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Yeah, I snuck in to surprise you.”

“It's not that surprising since you called yesterday and announced that you would drop by, Jinyoungie sweetie, but of course I'm happy to see you.”

“Same here, mom. Dad already went to work, right?”

“Yes, you just missed him.”

“I'm glad your work starts later. I wouldn't be able to drop by earlier than this.”

“Ooooh my cute, sleepy Jinyoungie,” she giggles before she turns back towards the kitchen counter.

Jinyoung darts a glance over her shoulder, cheering when he sees what she's currently working on. “Wow mom, your chocolate peanut butter cake looks and smells delicious, like always.”

“Thank you, sweetie. I'm just about to pack the slices so you can transport them safely.”

“You're the best, mom.” Jinyoung wraps his arms around her waist in an affectionate backhug.

“You're such a charmer,” she giggles again. Jinyoung moves to lean against the kitchen counter, watching her slicing the cake. When she starts to speak again the amused tone in her voice is missing. Instead her words sound cautious but also a little inquisitive. “You're looking good these days.”

“Yeah? Probably because of my new skin-care routine. I use water now,” he jokes.

His mom giggles once again. Jinyoung loves the sound of it. “That's not what I mean. You're looking radiant. If I wouldn't know better I'd assume you are pregnant.”

“I'm glad you _do_ know better,” he chuckles.

“Hmmm,” she hums amusedly. “Sweetie, I wonder why you ask me for cakes and cookies lately. I know you like them, but I didn't know you like them so much that you would come all the way out here to get them.”

“I always loved your pastries. And since I moved out, I crave for your home-baked stuff.”

“Of course I like to hear that. Do you enjoy them by yourself or do you share them with somebody?”

“Are you actually afraid that Jaebeom would eat everything up and leave nothing for me?”

“No, that's not it,” she laughs. It's more like.....” His mother stops what she's doing to properly face him. “I have the impression that you're happier lately. And I hope it's not because you moved out and escaped the clutches of your terrible parents.”

Now it's Jinyoung's turn to laugh. “You know I loved to live here with you. I was just tired of commuting to university.”

“I see, so it's something else. Or.... maybe it's _someone_ else?”

Her intelligent eyes are looking up at him, looking right into his heart. Just how does she do it? He barely spent time here since he moved out at the start of his semester break. And still she noticed that something important has changed, that something in his life has shifted. It's probably a mother's intuition, he concludes. Mothers obviously have their very own magic powers, and they don't even need to be magical creatures to use them.

He blinks back at her, speechless for a few moments until he eventually gasps, “Just.... how do you know?”

“Aaaah, sweetie, I'm so glad!” she rejoices. “Please tell me more. Who is it? How did you two meet? Is he a fellow student?”

His mother looks so excited, and Jinyoung shares the excitement. He even almost bursts with excitement. Jinyoung would love to reveal the fact that Mark is back in his life. He simply knows his mom would be overjoyed, especially since she is aware that Mark is of great significance to Jinyoung. But he has to deny himself this joy now. She would ask questions which he doesn't have any answers for yet. And surely she would want to meet Mark, would want to invite him for dinner to talk about old times and the years which have passed since he left. And this is the problem. Mark wouldn't know about anything of it. Jinyoung realizes that this isn't a temporary problem. If Mark really won't regain his memories of his life as a fairy, it's a severe ongoing problem. So even if Jinyoung achieves his goal and makes Mark his boyfriend, he still wouldn't know how to introduce him to his parents without it becoming a disaster. But this is a problem he would rather face later than sooner.

“Mom, I would love to tell you all about him but I don't want to jinx it. We're not at that stage yet. So please forgive me when I'm a little hesitant for now. But as soon as it's plain sailing, I will answer all of your questions.”

“Sure, sweetie. Just do it your way. I can be patient.... hopefully,” she laughs as she pulls him into a gentle hug. Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that he didn't see his mother being in such a good mood, so lighthearted and giggly, for a long time.

“Oh mom...”Jinyoung coos into her hair. “Thank you for being so happy for me. Even though nothing's certain yet. Don't forget that, please.”

His mom takes a step back to be able to look at him properly again. “Jinyoungie, I can't really explain it but I have a feeling that it will work out perfectly. Also when you put your mind to something, anything is truly possible. It's been always like this with you. Your stubbornness and courage always led you to the right path, even though it wasn't the easiest.”

“Stubbornness?”

“Don't look at me so scandalized. I meant it as a compliment. It's a good, effective sort of stubbornness. Just try to not think too much. Let it flow a little. Enjoy your time instead of overthinking everything, alright?”

His mom really knows him too well. Her skills of analyzing and predicting his behavior are unparalleled and also a bit disarming. “I really try, mom. I try my best.” A faint smile is playing on his lips.

“I know, you always do. I'm never worried about you not trying hard enough, sweetie.” She's doing it again. Her smile is warm and honest while her eyes are scanning every thought in his head. Rarely he felt so exposed in front of another person before. Though it's a good thing, he concludes. If another person is knowing you this well and is still rooting for you, something is going right.

“Mom, I came here to pick up the cake. Please don't make me cry,” he sighs, but offers her a smile.

“Oh no no no, we don't want to cry. Today is a good day,” she quickly decides, suddenly excited again. “So I know you don't want to reveal too much yet, but from what I can piece together, he loves sweets just like-”

Just like Mark, Jinyoung finishes in his head, because his mother interrupted herself before saying his name. Gone is her excitement. Now she appears to be rather anxious and alarmed.

“It's okay, mom. He's not Lord Voldemort. You can say his name,” Jinyoung encourages softly. He flashes her a reassuring smile which seems to calm her down.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up. Especially not when you just found a piece of happiness again.”

“Really, it's fine. It's not like Mark himself ever gave me a reason to be unhappy.”

“His absence did.”

“Yeah... but he is not to blame.”

“Oh I never would blame him. I know he was a good boy. And I know you loved him a lot. We never talked openly about it, I know you wanted to avoid it, but it was obvious that his departure caused you a lot of pain.”

“It's been a while though.”

Jinyoung smiles at her, a close-lipped but warm smile. A genuine one. His mother returns it feebly. She reaches out and takes his hand to cradle it between her palms.

“Yes, that's true. But I was afraid time wasn't doing much to relieve your pain. But finally....,” she whispers. It takes her a moment before she starts to speak again, louder now. “Jinyoungie, I don't even know words big enough to describe what it means to me to see you smile like that. It's so bright and genuine and.... just so spirited. It feels like you lived in this emotional daze for far too long. Like a little world, your own bubble, and it was very difficult to get through to you, to really reach you. It felt like your body was present but your mind was always somewhere else, somewhere we couldn't go. There were times when your dad and I were so afraid to lose you to that bubble completely. People who never were responsible for children can't relate to the feeling of seeing your kid suffer and not be capable of helping them in any way. It was our job to help and protect you, Jinyoungie, but in this situation we couldn't do anything. We were so powerless, just watching from the sidelines how you fought and doubted. There was nothing we could do. Absolutely nothing. It felt like we were watching your heart die every day a little more, and this was the hardest thing I ever had to endure in my entire life.” Her voice is trembling, shaking with emotion. She's starting to look glassy-eyed as she squeezes his hand in hers. “So seeing you now, being so.... _alive_ is the greatest gift I ever received. I couldn't wish for more. I'm so proud of you for overcoming this obstacle which seemed unscalable for the longest time. So when you're ready to share more about the person who has cast this incredible magic spell on you, you're always welcome, just like he will always be welcome in our home and our hearts.”

Jinyoung can't, he simply can't stop his tears from falling. He doesn't even have a chance.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”

“Oh sweetie, don't be an idiot. Everything is okay now. You came back to us,” she snivels and lifts one hand to gently cup his wet cheek.

“Hey mom, now we both ended up crying. What have you done?” he jokes through his sobs.

“It's okay. It's fine. These kind of tears are fine.” The bright smile on her face presents a sharp contrast to the tears which freely slide down her cheeks. But Jinyoung believes her. These tears are okay. They stand for better times to come. So Jinyoung nods his head in agreement, not quite trusting his own voice anymore. “Welcome back, my Jinyoungie,” she whispers before she pulls him into another warm hug.

(*≧ω≦*)

“Hello, sir. Welcome to Yum Yum Sandwich.” That's how Mark welcomes him when Jinyoung emerges from the corridor and enters the shop, still fiddling with his apron. The cheeky smile lets Mark's eyes twinkle. It takes Jinyoung's breath away for a long moment.

“Hey.... you're here already. Wow...”

“Damn right, I am. I was super early. I was here even before Lynn.”

He's so proud of himself, Jinyoung is about to melt into a puddle. He barely can stop himself from cooing and patting Mark's head. “Amazing. But how could you go from being always late to being on time to being super early?”

“I told you I'm working on it, right? And now you can see that I can do it when I really want.”

A soft smile is growing on Jinyoung's face. “It's cute that my opinion matters so much to you.”

His proud, almost smug expression vanishes in a heartbeat. “What- no, that's not what I- Wait, have you cried?”

Oh no, this wasn't supposed to go like this. Jinyoung just checked his appearance in the break room. There's almost no trace of his little emotional breakdown in his parents' kitchen visible anymore. Mark must have looked really hard to spot it.

“Uhm.... no.”

“Your eyes are red.”

“Then maybe yes,” Jinyoung mumbles a vague confirmation before he turns away to rummage through a drawer, searching nothing in particular. But only a moment later he feels a familiar hand gently gripping his forearm, turning him back around to face a worried looking Mark.

“Aren't you feeling well? Maybe you shouldn't work. It's better to rest a little. Just lie down in the break room. Don't worry about work. I got this.”

So it seems this melting-into-a-puddle feeling will be permanently present today. Or how else is he supposed to feel when Mark is so considerate towards him? But it also means that he probably should tell the truth to not make him worry needlessly. “This is terribly sweet of you but there's no reason to worry. I'm fine. I just.... my mom made me feel very emotional earlier when we had a sincere, absolutely unplanned heart-to-heart talk. And we both ended up crying and now she sits at work with her eyes being just as red as mine.”

“This is so-”

“Lame?”

“I meant to say cute. What about having a good relationship with your parents is lame?”

“Oh, I guess I'm cute then. If you insist.” Jinyoung offers Mark a feline smile, who in return offers Jinyoung an eye roll.

“But that means you're doing oki, right?”

“Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for watching out for me. I mean it.”

“No big deal,” he mumbles as he turns away.

Jinyoung would have liked to continue this, to poke fun and maybe tease Mark a little more. But they are still at work. And this job includes assisting guests. This also applies to the group of four chatty teenage girls who just entered the shop and grabbed one of Jinyoung's assigned tables.

So Jinyoung takes some menus and bids the giggly girls welcome. It seems to be astoundingly difficult for them to choose a sandwich, but they are nice and sweet so Jinyoung likes to help them by explaining about the different ingredients. He also asks about food allergies to avoid any possible negative consequences. Through their combined efforts they eventually decide on their orders.

Satisfied, Jinyoung saunters back behind the counter where Mark is waiting for him with a smirk on his lips.

“Is something up?”

“This is very admirable.”

“What is?”

“The way you diligently explained in detail about every advantage of every sandwich on the menu just because the girls pretended to be at a loss.”

“ _Pretended?_ ”

“They sure enjoyed the show,” Mark chuckles.

“The show?” Jinyoung parrots again.

“Jinyoung, they had heart eyes and giggled like lunatics the whole time.”

“No... that's not it. They really didn't know what to choose,” Jinyoung tries to clarify. But the smile on Mark's face only gets cheekier.

“Sure. And that's also why they were totally checking you out from head to toe.”

“They _what_?” he squeaks.

“They are even staring at you _right now_. No wait, don't turn around!” Mark grips his shoulders to keep Jinyoung in place. “You will startle them.”

“B-But they are _kids,”_ Jinyoung whispers, completely flustered.

“Actually they are teens. And you're the cute university student who is so nice and helpful. I don't think it's that weird.”

“Oooh, I'm cute and nice, huh?”

“No, that's not-”

“It's the second time you're calling me cute today. Do you have something to confess to me?” Jinyoung knows it's cheeky and brave and he walks on a thin line, but he can't stop himself.

“Ugh, I just wanted to tease you a little but now I said too much again. I'm a fool. Please don't mind me.”

“No no no no no, just keep talking. I'm listening.” Jinyoung now tries to shove the playful grin down his own throat and instead wears a cute smile. But Mark seems rather exasperated with the situation.

“I think you have an order to prepare.”

Damn, unfortunately Mark is right. He has to finish the girls' orders before he can continue to flirt with his coworker, who seems wonderfully approachable today. Jinyoung has to make good use of it.

With maximum speed he finishes the promised sandwiches and beverages and serves them to the girls. This time, his smile is a little less broad though. He doesn't want to come across as flirty. And now after Mark pointed it out, Jinyoung realizes it, the way they indeed are checking him out. It seems his antennas only work when it comes to males. Attention given by females completely flies under his radar.

But for now his job is done here. The girls are happy and giggly and now munch on their sandwiches. And Jinyoung actually sneaks away for a few moments to get what his mom prepared for him with so much love.

When he reenters, he proudly announces, “Hey Mark, I have a surprise for you. Please close your eyes and open your mouth.” He is still hiding his secret weapon in his backpack so Mark can't sneak a peek. Though the latter looks at him quizzically. Obviously he's not planning on complying immediately.

“You're not going to kiss me, right?”

“That depends. Is this what you want?”

“No?”

“Also what kind of kiss starts with an open mouth? Please Mark, try to be decent.”

“I.... w-what.... hey! I _am_ decent. It's you who does weird things sometimes!”

“Uh-huh. No big deal though. If you want me to shove my tongue into your mouth, without much prelude, you just have to tell me.”

“What have I done again?” Mark whines as he rubs his palms over his face.

Jinyoung chuckles and scrunches his nose at his reaction. “You're too cute, pretty boy. But now please shut your eyes and open your mouth, and I promise to try holding my tongue. Literally.”

“How reassuring,” Mark groans, but then does what he is asked to do.

Jinyoung quickly pulls the container out of his backpack and places a bite of the cake carefully on the fork.

“Okay, attention please. The plane is landing.”

By instinct, Mark shuts his mouth. A wave of enjoyment seems to wash over him. His tense face relaxes and shines with a soft glow. A satisfied hum climbs up his throat as he savors the sweet taste of this chocolaty treat. Jinyoung watches him, watching the way his Adam's apple bobs when he swallows, the way his face lights up with a heart-melting smile and his shiny doe eyes are slowly opening.

“This is what I think it is, right? You really brought the chocolate peanut butter cake for me?”

“Your wish is my command, pretty boy.”

Mark's hand comes up, his fingertips are gently touching his own lips as if he wants to feel the taste. Jinyoung thinks it's such an adorable gesture. For a few moments they're surrounded by a solemn silence, before he gasps, “This tastes even better than I expected. I'm so enamored.”

His reactions are pure gold. Jinyoung's smile only broadens with each passing second. “That sounds good. I didn't promise too much, right?”

“No. It's heavenly. Is... is there more?”

“A lot more!” Jinyoung confirms excitedly. He puts more cake on the fork before bringing it back to Mark's mouth. He feeds him again. Mark accepts it without even a trace of hesitance. Sweets really tame him like nothing else.

It has the same effect on him like the first time. Mark relishes the cake as if he never had anything even remotely as delicious as this treat.

“More?”

“Yes! Always yes! But maybe you should stop feeding me.”

“But this is fun,” Jinyoung murmurs. A pout follows immediately.

“But your fan club over there is watching, and their glares feel like daggers piercing me.”

“I don't care. If you'd ask me we could put on a whole show for them.” Jinyoung is a bit sulky. He still wants to flirt with Mark.

“Nah, I'm not in the mood to make enemies today. Also teenagers can be so cruel. I don't want to become their latest victim of bullying,” he chuckles as he takes the fork from a stunned Jinyoung. Mark attacks the cake without a second thought while Jinyoung decides that maybe it isn't the right time to flirt now. Maybe it's time for a serious talk.

“What do you mean? D-Did others pick on you when you were a teenager?”

“No, do I look like it?” he mumbles with his cheeks stuffed.

Relief washes over Jinyoung. A quiet sigh escapes his lips before he answers. “No, you look like a prince, but sometimes people do terrible things out of envy. Anyway, I'm just genuinely happy that you didn't have to go through this.”

And it's true. The confirmation that Mark had a normal childhood and could spent his school years unbothered makes Jinyoung's heart feel a lot lighter. When he remembers the story of how brutally he was treated in fairy school, Jinyoung's insides still twist with dread and sadness. In the end, Mark's memory loss also has a bright side. At least he doesn't have to carry these heinous memories around with himself anymore. As a human, Mark has lived through his adolescence how it was supposed to be and how he deserved it in the first place.

“Me too. I watched a reportage on TV on bullying and its victims. And it truly makes your heart ache when you see how some kids are tormented and ostracized for things beyond their control. I imagine that it does terrible things especially to kids and teenagers. It's heart-breaking when you realize how helpless, scared and desperate they are in their loneliness.”

Jinyoung just stares at Mark for a while. He stares so long that Mark momentarily stops to munch cake and focuses his attention on him. “Are you oki, Jinyoung?”

Is he? Jinyoung doesn't know. Probably not. Human Mark might not have experienced it to be harassed by bullies, but that fact makes it even more incredible how much thought he gave to the issue already. A strange sense of pride fills Jinyoung's heart. He's impressed by him. But that's not all. Mark's words stirred up something deep inside of him. In just those few sentences, Mark summed up a big part of Jinyoung's school days. And it doesn't matter how much time has passed or how some of his bullies apologized for their past mistakes, the anguish and the feeling of humiliation are still there and won't ever go away.

Jinyoung eventually tries to swallow the lump in his throat. Not really trusting his voice, he nods his head jerkily. But Mark narrows his eyes, giving him a quizzical look. Jinyoung averts his gaze. It's better if Mark doesn't spot the anxiousness welling up in his eyes. And eventually Mark shifts his attention back to the chocolate peanut butter cake.

For a while they just stay like this, Mark chomping down the cake while Jinyoung tries his best to compose himself. After a few minutes, he finally is done sorting out his thoughts and is ready to return to his initial mission.

“You know..... Jackson and Lynn mentioned that you made some not so great experiences with people in your life so far. To be honest, I assumed it was about bullying, but since you deny it, they apparently referred to something else.”

“Ugh... don't listen to them. They talk too much.” Mark quashes his attempt to find out more right away. But Jinyoung doesn't plan on giving up that easily.

“So... relationships, huh?”

“Relationships what?” A piercing gaze is directed at Jinyoung before Mark starts to work on his second slice of cake.

“You had some? Relationships I mean.”

“Why would I tell you?”

“Because I've asked you very nicely. Also we don't have much work to do right now and talking is a great way to kill time,” Jinyoung tries to coax.

Mark keeps chewing and simultaneously seems to ponder over Jinyoung's words. Apparently now Jinyoung is the one who's armed with magical powers, or at least with magical props, since the chocolate cake seems to put Mark in an exceptionally good mood. “Well, whatever. It's not like you could do anything with these information. So yeah, we can talk about it, I guess.”

“I would never cause you a disadvantage in any way,” Jinyoung assure immediately.

“Calm down, oki? Don't wet your Totoro panties,” Mark laughs. He hides his mouth behind his palm, probably to protect Jinyoung from cake crumbs.

Though Jinyoung wouldn't even care about flying cake crumbs. Not when he stares at Mark dumbfounded yet again, after he mentioned something which only fairy Mark could have known.

“W-What did you say?”

“Huh?”

“Totoro? How do you know?”

“What, you really wear Totoro panties?”

“Uhm... n-no, not anymore. But I once had them. So how do you know, Mark Fair-... Tuan? Tell me.”

“Uhm... I don't know. Maybe you're just the Totoro panties type,” he giggles, obviously not thinking much of it. A small sigh escapes Jinyoung's lips. So it wasn't a memory. It was a mere assumption. Though a very accurate one. But he can't let it discourage him now. He was on the right path, so he better keeps digging.

“Anyway. We were talking about your former relationships, right?”

“There's not much to tell anyway. I had some relationships, most of them were rather short. I seem to attract dickheads. Liars, cheaters, simple assholes, I had them all.” He casually shrugs his shoulders before he attacks the cake another time.

“No way! And you got together with them despite it?”

“It's not like they had it written all over their faces, Jinyoung.” He deadpans, his lips forming a slight pout. Mark started out talking casually about it but Jinyoung senses that his facade is showing fresh cracks.

“Oh... yes, of course. Sorry. Please go on.”

“My longest relationship was about six months. It ended on the day I caught my boyfriend sucking his best friend's face.”

“Noooo! He didn't! That's terrible.”

“Turned out they were making out behind my back for almost two months already. And isn't it just ridiculous? They knew each other almost their entire lives, but as soon as I get into a relationship with him they start to feel attracted to each other? Come on life, give me a damn break.”

“I would never kiss Jaebeom,” Jinyoung blurts out.

“I didn't ask.”

“I just want you to know as a potential future reference. I would never break your heart, especially not with the help of my best friend.”

Mark huffs at this, obviously not really knowing how to react. He avoids Jinyoung's gaze for a few moments, then swallows the cake in his mouth. “Good to know then,” he finally replies. A faint smile touches the corners of his mouth. “But the funny thing was that I didn't feel very heartbroken, at least not how you should feel. Not the way I know it from friends or books and movies. Mostly, I just felt annoyed, like drawing a blank at the raffle ticket booth. I always felt like.... I don't know... every relationship I was jumping into felt not quite right from the start. I always tried to ignore this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, but it has become stronger the longer the relationship lasted. It's really hard to describe. Maybe I'm not cut out to have a functioning relationship. Ever.”

“That's not it!”

“No?” Mark's eyebrows shoot up after Jinyoung's vehement objection.

“No! You're great just the way you are. And the right person for you will see it and will be the perfect match for you. So perfect that this nagging feeling won't be more than just a distant memory.”

A soft smile lights up Mark's handsome face. “You're very sweet, Jinyoung.”

Oh wow, how much he had missed this warm smile. Jinyoung would like to bathe in it, to wrap it around himself like a fluffy blanket which would protect him from everything bad and hurtful in this world.

“I hope you realize that I'm hinting at me being this person for you, right?”

“Well, you were sweet for the longest time.” Okay, the warm smile is gone, but Mark's feigned annoyance is also cute and makes Jinyoung chuckle. And soon after, a proper smile is back on Mark's face. “You're standing too close to me, by the way.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“I can feel the icy stares again. Better go check on your fan club,” Mark recommends.

When Jinyoung turns around to face the group of girls, they all are wearing scowls on their faces. But as soon as they realize Jinyoung is watching them, big smiles bloom on their lips. He can't hide his grin. They know they were caught red-handed. And when Jinyoung walks up to them, asking if they need anything, their playfulness is replaced with embarrassment. Rather abruptly they decide pay for their meals and bid him goodbye.

While he collects the dirty dishes, Jinyoung hopes they will come back sooner or later. They seem like good kids, despite their juvenile jealousy. It brings another smile to his face when he remembers that there actually was a reason to be jealous. Yes, he had a good time with Mark today and he doesn't plan on letting it end yet.

“Sooooo,” Jinyoung starts when he walks back behind the counter. “Do you have more siblings or is it just you and Lynn? How were you as a kid? Lynn, mentioned your grandma recently. Are you seeing her often? How are you-”

“Wait wait wait wait! What is it with this sudden flood of questions?”

“I very much enjoyed our conversation today. I think we should continue. And you're an interesting person.”

“Not really. I'm Prince Boring, did you forget?”

Jinyoung chuckles at that, though a soft smile follows. “For me you're still Prince Charming, who I want to know more about.”

“That's.... I don't know.... nice? Thank you, but my life really isn't that interesting and it feels kinda weird to bend your ears, prattling on about trivialities.”

“It's fine. I'm Dumbo, right? I have big enough ears to bend them however you like.”

“Jinyoung, please...” he snickers. “Let's just take it slow, oki? And actually that's also how I should have dealt with the cake. I think I overdid it a bit.”

“Oh, does your belly ache now? I'm sorry.”

“No, I just need to take a break from eating, which is hard, but I need to make an adult decision now. And don't apologize as if you're to blame for my unhealthy relationship with sweets. Oh wow.... I just realized I can't even have a functioning relationship with sweets. Pathetic.”

“What a revelation,” Jinyoung laughs upon Mark's slightly melodramatic speech.

“Give me the dishes. I will wash them.”

And so Mark busies himself at the sink and Jinyoung just stares at his back. They are alone in the shop now. It's still early. The lunch rush is still about to come. This leaves room for Jinyoung's mind to run free. So after he had this honest talk with Mark today and after they also shared some cute moments, maybe now it's time to step up his game. Maybe it's time to take a risk.

“Damn, it's warm today, right?”

“Yeah, summer really shows no mercy this year,” Mark answers.

Jinyoung slowly walks closer to him. “If you would like to undress yourself a little more, I don't mind,” he murmurs when he stops behind Mark.

“Of course you don't,” Mark snorts, without turning around to look at him. “Welcome to another episode of Park Jinyoung's corny pick up lines.”

“Oh it's cute how you're looking forward to it. Didn't know you were a fan.”

“Fan?!” Mark shakes his head and clicks his tongue in disapproval. “You wish!”

“Yeah, I really do wish, because I could provide a very special kind of fan service for you,” Jinyoung purrs seductively. Now he's so close behind Mark that the fabric of Jinyoung's shirt lightly brushes against his back. He's not yet touching him. It's rather an announcement of a touch, a cautious, non-verbal question, asking him if this would be okay.

It seems that Mark finally catches on to the situation and is rendered motionless for a long moment.

“W-What are you doing?” he asks meekly, still not turning around.

“I just want to help you,” he whispers into Mark's ear before he rests his hand on his forearm. Slowly, his fingers slide up his arm, over smooth, warm skin, until they reach the hem of his t-shirt sleeve. Jinyoung curls his other arm around Mark's body to have both hands on his upper arm. And yet he's still careful not to press himself against Mark. Everything is delicate and feathery light, so if Mark would show only a single sign of disapproval, Jinyoung could take his hands off him in a heartbeat.

With nimble fingers, he starts to roll the sleeve up, exposing Mark's arm gradually. Jinyoung is ogling every centimeter of freshly revealed skin without restraint. Actually he expected himself to be more composed after he had other sexual encounters. Apparently when it comes to Mark, he's still as horny as he was as a teenager.

Mark is still frozen in front of him, his hands just dangling in the warm dishwater. When Jinyoung is done rolling his sleeve all the way up to his shoulder, his hands slide down again to give Mark's biceps a soft squeeze. It's so quiet in the shop that the ragged breath which escapes Mark's lips is very audible.

“That's better, right?” he chirps, before moving his hands to Mark's other arm to repeat the process. His fingers once again slide carefully across Mark's smooth skin. It feels glorious to finally be able to touch him after so long. “You're naturally so hot, I can't let you sweat more than necessary.”

Mark is obviously paralyzed. Jinyoung almost expected to not get a single word out of him but eventually there's a mumbled reply. “How very considerate of you.” Admittedly, the sarcasm is obvious in his voice. But Mark didn't tell him to take his hands off him, so Jinyoung is quite okay with a little bit of sarcasm.

While he's still gradually working his way up his arm, Jinyoung leans in to nuzzle into Mark's hair. Yes, every passing second without a rejection makes him braver.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you smell like flowers and cotton?” he murmurs behind Mark's ear. If he isn't wrong, a tiny shudder travels through Mark's body. He hopes this is a good sign.

“No,” the other breathes, almost too quiet to hear at all.

“Well, you do. And it's perfect. The perfect scent for you. So innocent and clean, and still so alluring. It's one of the many reasons why I can't stay away from you. I'm drawn to you in so many ways. You make me crazy,” Jinyoung admits in a whisper. It's more than he planned to reveal, but he can't help himself. Mark's presence is intoxicating. He will always make Jinyoung swoon, no matter which life or which reality.

He can hear Mark swallow thickly. And he couldn't wish for a better reaction. It means Jinyoung also has an effect on him.

Now Jinyoung is done with the other sleeve as well. And damn, he simply loves his arms. He'll never forget the first time he laid his eyes on them. He remembers exactly how Mark wandered along the row of shower cubicles back then in high school, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. Not only his arms looked delicious. The vivid memory of Mark's bare stomach and chest almost makes him moan right then and there.

It's better to focus on the present moment, he scolds himself. So he places his hands on either side of Mark's shoulders. Gently, his fingers slide down his arms, caressing the soft skin. Jinyoung's hot breath dances over the back of his neck. His fingertips run across Mark's biceps and the tender skin of the inner side of his elbows, making goosebumps rise along his way. Jinyoung fondles his forearms, but before his fingers breach the water surface, he slowly drags them back up. Sensually, he continues to caress his arms. Jinyoung pulls his face away from Mark's soft hair to be able to move his body even closer to him, his cheek now brushing Mark's ear. It feels hot against his face. He would love to know if this is thanks to his little attack.

But Jinyoung is aware that he can do more. So he tests his luck. His palms slide down his bare arms once again, but this time they travel all the way down into the water. His fingers loosely encircle Mark's wrists, slowly preparing his next step. And when there's still no sign of resistance, he gently starts to rub circles into the tender skin on the insides of his wrists with the pads of his thumbs.

A reward follows promptly and it's almost too good to be true. Mark's breath hitches when Jinyoung devotes his attention to his sensitive spots. Gladly, he doesn't even try to pull away. Instead his body tension seems to vanish. Mark's entire body relaxes as he leans back against Jinyoung's chest, easily accepting the comfort he provides. Jinyoung just hopes that his frantically beating heart won't disturb Mark's little paradise.

“J-Jinyoung.” His voice is beautifully low between shaky breaths.

“Yeah?”

“This spot.... I'm.... I'm kinda.... sensitive there.”

“I know,” he whispers into his ear.

“H-How?”

“I just do. Just like you know I'm the Totoro panties type.” The smile in Jinyoung's voice is audible. Mark's body trembles against his. He isn't quite sure if the reason is silent laughter or the ongoing pleasure which Jinyoung gives him. “So tell me Mark, how often do you think about me in underwear?”

“To be honest, up to this day not much at all.”

Mark's head comfortably rests against Jinyoung's shoulder. The latter now tears his eyes away from their hands in the water and darts a glance at his face. Mark's eyes are closed, his beautiful dark lashes fanning out above those fine cheekbones. His eyebrows are slightly drawn together, but a faint smile plays on his full lips. His expression is such a turn on, Jinyoung can barely contain himself.

He bites down on his bottom lip before he asks, “But it changed today?”

“Truth to be told, when you took your fan club's order earlier, I noticed your very nicely shaped ass.”

“Mhhhh,” Jinyoung hums close to his ear. “I'm really proud of it. Believe me, it's a tempting sight in underwear and even more tempting without it.”

And he almost can't believe it, but a breathy moan slips past Mark's lips. Apparently, the surprise is big on both sides. Jinyoung momentarily stops his wrist massage as Mark's eyes fly open. He's obviously shocked by his own reaction.

Unfortunately he straightens up, pulling his body away from Jinyoung's warmth. Next thing he knows, Mark shakes off his hands and starts doing the dishes as if nothing ever happened. He awkwardly clears his throat. “I have to get this done so we'll be prepared for lunch hours.”

“Yeah, sure....,” Jinyoung agrees sheepishly and takes a few steps back. He finds a towel to dry his hands but still can't take his eyes off Mark's back. Though Mark's red ears elicit a smile from him.

Jinyoung hopes he didn't fuck this up. He hopes he didn't make it awkward between them. But who is he kidding, he probably did. But he being him, Jinyoung isn't ready to simply accept it. Offense is the best defense.

“So this was nice. You know, I might have started the morning with tears, but still, today was filled with good things so far. Thank you for that. You feel amazing in my arms, by the way. We should continue this after our shift. What do you say?”

He watches Mark's back attentively. So it doesn't escape his attention that his shoulders slump forward. Then they start to shake with a soft chuckle.

He turns around to face Jinyoung, a slightly desperate smile on his face. “Jinyoung, you're unbelievable.”

“Thank you. It means a lot coming from you,” Jinyoung jokes while placing his hand over his heart.

“Ah, I didn't mean it that way but fine.”

“So you, me, and a date later today?”

“Uhm... I... I don't know.”

“Well, like this you never reach the chocolate-truffle-cake-level with me. That's for sure.”

At that Mark chuckles again. Jinyoung beholds him with a soft smile. He's so glad he decided to keep the conversation going, using a lighthearted playfulness.

“Just.... can you give me a little more time? To sort out my thoughts?”

“Y-Yes, of course!” he blurts out. His playfulness flew right out of the window after Mark's disarming questions. Jinyoung is absolutely flabbergasted by the fact that Mark seriously considers to go on a date with him. It's a borderline miracle so he won't push his luck any further. “Take your time. But please don't stop talking to me while you're thinking about it, okay? I would miss you.”

“Oki, I can do this much.” His voice is so soft. Jinyoung wants to melt again.

He feels giddy with delight. What a day so far. Mark's skin still feels the way it felt back then, still smooth, still warm, still comforting. Mark's smile still is the most radiant power in the world, and Mark's words are still varying between witty, challenging and soothing.

Mark pulled him into a whirlwind of feelings. All the emotions he went through today alone made Jinyoung feel so alive. He really missed this.

And once again Jinyoung receives the confirmation that it never was solely the fairy part of Mark which fascinated him. It was Mark as an individual with all the shortcomings and good points and personal traits. He realizes that he never has been in love with somebody else like he's in love with Mark. How should he be, when he never stopped loving him in the first place?!

(*≧ω≦*)

“Hey Bammie,” Jinyoung answers the cellphone call. “What's up?”

“Jinyoung, I'm really sorry. Please forgive me,” the younger boy whines into the phone without so much as a greeting.

“Huh? What for?”

“For whatever I did to make you mad at me.”

“I'm not mad at you.”

“Are you mad at Youngjae?”

“No?”

“Certainly you're not mad at Jangmi. Sowon maybe? Oh wait, it's Yugyeom, right? It's always him. Well he's sorry, too, for whatever he did. I tell him to call you.”

“I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. I'm not mad at any of you.”

“You are not? Oh..... then what could it- oh....... oh no....”

“What? What is it?”

“Are you maybe.... really, _really_ sad again?”

Jinyoung hates this, the way his voice becomes so quiet and his words so careful. The kids witnessed his darkest hours and he couldn't feel any more sorry about it. It certainly wasn't a side of him he wanted them to see. But back then he had no energy left to pretend he's fine. And still, he couldn't feel more thankful and proud of them. Throughout this entire misery they stayed by his side. Not one of them had turned their back on him. He always thought he must be strong for them. He thought they needed him only because they relied on him. But he learned a very important lesson. They needed him because he was and is their friend. And because they are his friends, they also accepted his weak side without batting an eyelash.

“No, I'm doing fine, Bammie,” he answers softly.

“So you're not mad at one of us, and you aren't depressed. Then why the fuck are you avoiding us, huh?”

“I'm not avoiding you!”

“Of course you do. And Jaebeom does, too! What the heck is up with you?”

“Uhm... nothing?”

“Sowon has this disturbing theory about you and Jaebeom being in a lovey-dovey-kissy-kiss relationship now. And that's the reason why you're ignoring everyone around you.”

“Relationship? With _each other_?”

“Yes.”

“That's insane. Please stop.”

“But you have to admit it's not really absurd. You're only hanging out with Jaebeom since you moved in together. You don't join our weekly get-togethers anymore and you rarely respond to messages. Since your break started, you both just dipped. Normally, it's the other way around. You're supposed to have time to hang out now.”

“Oh... that.... no, we're just very busy.”

“With your hands in the each other's pants?”

“I'm about to throw up. Please stop it.”

“Then what are you so busy with?”

“We wanted to prove to our parents that we can be adults, right? So we made this deal with them. We use the break to earn some money and pay for our lives by ourselves until the next semester starts. And since we now have jobs, we're pretty busy.”

“Where?”

“Huh?”

“Where do you work?”

“I won't tell you. Y'all just gonna drop by and pester us all of the time. No way.” The last thing Jinyoung needs right now is another Jaehyun-situation when the kids would meet Mark in the sandwich shop.

“You really don't want to tell me?”

“Nope.”

“But maybe we could hang out with you while you're doing your job. Wouldn't it be perfect?”

“No, this is work, Bammie. We can't just invite all our friends to have an hours-long meet and greet.”

“Ugh, no fun at all,” he grumbles. “Anyway, we miss your stupid face, okay?”

“When did you become so bold? When did this happen?”

“It was a slow process but you always just watched and never stepped in. So it's your own fault that I'm like this now,” the other claims proudly.

“Awesome.”

“All jokes aside, can you please stop feigning death and come back to us? We're really missing you and your boyfri-... uh I mean Jaebeom.”

Jinyoung wants to slap himself. He lost sight of an important aspect. The fact that Mark is back in his life swept him completely off his feet, and that's just not fair to all the other great people in his life.

“I'm genuinely sorry. I will reply to every message from now on, and I will make time for the weekly gatherings, and I will drag Jaebeom with me. I promise.”

“Now that sounds sensible. Good boy.”

“Don't overdo it.”

“Alright,” BamBam snickers.

“Tell the others I said hi.”

“Okay, but remember to tell them hi yourself and in person next Thursday.”

“I will.”

They end the call on good terms. Jinyoung ruffles his own hair, still stunned at his own ignorant behavior.

“What was that about?”

Jinyoung turns around to see Jaebeom emerging from his room.

“The kids miss us.”

“You still call them kids,” Jaebeom scoffs.

“They'll always be kids to me, no matter what.”

“Do as you like, but they will graduate soon and then they will be university students, just like we are.”

“And your point is?”

“Never mind.”

“Anyway, they miss us because we don't show our faces anymore. We completely cut them off, Jaebeom. We're terrible friends. They even came up with this wild theory about us starting a relationship.”

“With _each other_?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, their power of imagination is impressive.”

“I can tell you that,” Jinyoung sighs. “Anyway, we meet up with them next Thursday.”

“Fine with me.” He shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat next to Jinyoung on the couch. “Can we talk about _my_ problems now?”

“Uhm... sure? What's up?”

“So I was on a date with Jackson, and in that café we met Hwayoung by accident. So I sort of had to introduce her to him.”

“Okay? And?”

“Jinyoung. She's my twin sister. She's basically the female version of myself. Jackson is still kind of straight. Connect. The. Fucking. Dots.”

“Oh.... oooooh fuck. Do you think he was attracted to her?”

“I can't really tell,” he sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. “He's always friendly and open-minded and literally smiling all of the time. So no idea. But I feel threatened by my own twin sister and that just sucks.”

“But you're not even sure if he likes her. He didn't say anything?”

“No. But of course he wouldn't say 'hey, I know you're kinda head over heels for me but I'm attracted more to your sister now, bye'. It's just not his style.”

“But did he ask any questions about her?”

“No?”

“Then there's nothing to be afraid of. Jackson isn't such an actor to be able to hide his genuine interest in someone.”

“Do you honestly think so?” His best friend never before looked this pitiful. Jackson really stole his heart away.

“Yes, I honestly do.”

“Thank heavens! Strangely, this calms me down slightly. But if Jackson would fall for my twin sister instead of me, I would become such a tragic figure, even more so than your bully-ex. What kind of irony would this be?”

“Yeah... I don't think this will happen. You only have to worry, if he'll openly ask you about her.”

“Good,” Jaebeom breathes. “Oh, there's something else I wanted to talk with you about. So apparently Mark asked Jackson to ask me if I ever had your mom's chocolate truffle cake. And I had no idea what to say. Was this some kind of secret code for something or was it plain weird?”

“Ooooh, look who's interested in my former boyfriends,” Jinyoung snickers smugly.

Jaebeom sluggishly blinks at him before he shrugs his shoulders. “I don't understand anything, so I just assume it actually _is_ a secret code.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I didn't want to ruin things for you by saying something wrong, so I avoided it by yelling 'OH LOOK AT THIS CUTE DOG'. And then I ran over to this random dog in the park and petted it like crazy. The owner lady looked at me pretty suspiciously until she realized I don't want to harm her precious pet. After that she was rather smitten with me because I took an interest in her ugly ass dog.”

“You said it was cute though.”

“It was an emergency situation. I lied.”

“Oh...”

“Anyway, then Jackson joined me and started to pet the dog as well. And then he was like 'It's so great that you also like dogs. I really love dogs.' and then I smiled and nodded my head, because you should have seen his hazel eyes. So round and full of hope when he was proclaiming his dog love. And we played with the ugly ass dog, and we had these super cute almost-boyfriend-moments together.”

“That sounds great.”

“But Jinyoung, I like _cats_ ,” his best friend whines.

“Congratulations, from today onwards you're a dog person.”

“But-”

“If he gives up on being straight for you, you can give up on liking cats.”

“Ugh, the things I do to get this boy,” he groans and sinks deeper into the couch.

“It will be well worth it in the end.” Jinyoung pats him encouragingly on the shoulder.

“I still have something else I want to discuss with you,” Jaebeom mumbles.

“Okay?”

“I kind of spent my rent money on dates with Jackson.”

“You can't be serious. You're nagging me about money from _day one_ of living here.”

“To my defense, I have a whole ass hetero to turn gay.”

“What did you do? Sending him to a bunch of call boys for a crash course in advanced gayness?”

“If I'd say yes, what would you-”

“Your life is already on the line here. Don't push your luck.”

“Sorry. It's Jackson, he makes me braver.”

“Stupid chaos couple,” Jinyoung mutters before he smacks Jaebeom's head.


	16. 2.5

It's a magnificent feeling, the way Jinyoung's heart fluttered wildly in his chest when Mark entered the break room and their eyes met for the first time this day; the way Mark's handsome face lit up with a warm smile then; the way his raspy voice sounded so happy when he said “Hey Jinyoung! Look, I'm on time again.”.

Even Jaebeom, who worked the first shift with Jackson, was mumbling to Jinyoung how very tame Mark appeared today. Jinyoung just gave him a hopeful look and his best friend gave him an encouraging pat on the back in return, before he left.

And this went on. Jinyoung was swooning over Mark the entire shift. They didn't exchange many words, since it was quite busy. Instead they exchanged smiles. Loads of them. Soft ones and cheeky ones and maybe even longing ones? Or maybe not. At this point, Jinyoung has probably become utterly delusional. Because more often than not, he felt like sensing Mark's eyes on him. But every time he looked up to confirm his suspicion the other was fumbling with something. So maybe Jinyoung was about to go nuts. Who knows?! But something felt different today. Like Mark finally made the decision to get involved with him, without prejudices or doubts, to see Jinyoung for what he really is.

This would be just too good to be true. But Jinyoung wants so badly to believe it. So in the end he has no idea if his mind is playing tricks on him, but he can't shake off the thought that Mark is staring at his ass every time he turns around. And eventually he's proven right, when Mark points out, “Hey, something is about to fall out of your back pocket.”

In a heartbeat, Jinyoung reaches behind himself to check the back pocket of his jeans, where he has pouched the blue rose this morning. But when he feels for it, it's still safely nestled in the pocket.

“No, the other one,” Mark points out.

But before Jinyoung can move his hand to his other back pocket, Mark already leans over the counter to snatch away whatever it is that's threatening to escape. When Jinyoung whirls around, he's shocked to see that Mark is currently studying his to-do list. His Mark-mission-to-do list to be exact.

“What is this?”

Oh no, the skeptical look is back on his face. Jinyoung's brain just bows out. It tells him to handle this mess himself. So Jinyoung is completely defenseless in this situation, without any idea, any rhyme or reason.

“Nothing. Can you give it back, please?”

“Point one: make Mark smile (always)

Point two: ask him if he likes My Little Pony (he probably does)

Point three: ask him if he likes sweets (he probably does)

Point four: get to know him better – What was his life like?

Point five: find out if he was bullied as a kid

Point-”

“Can you please stop reading it?” Jinyoung groans and facepalms himself. How could he be so careless? Why does he still carry this thing around with him? He drafted this before his first day of work here, and now he just takes it along as a sort of lucky charm. But it never was part of the plan that Mark would find it. This it is disastrous.

“Jinyoung, can you please explain this?”

“It was just my plan to get to know you better, okay? That's just me. I like to make plans. No big deal,” he mumbles as he shyly rubs his arm.

“I don't understand it..... the thing about the sweets and also My Little Pony, how did you know?”

“You said you don't like My Little Pony!”

“Not true, I just asked you why you're telling me weird bits about your childhood after knowing me for about an hour.”

“So you _do_ like My Little Pony?”

“Jinyoung, how did you know?” he demands, seemingly not in the mood to answer questions about cartoon ponies.

“It was just a wild guess. I told you before, I'm an expert on knowing people. I have humans all figured out.” Maybe he's getting better already at spouting impromptu lies.

“But how would you guess exactly those things? This is so random,” Mark mumbles while he stares at the crumpled piece of paper.

“Well, I was wrong about the bullying, so I still need to improve my skills,” Jinyoung boldly claims as he leans over the counter to snatch the to-do list from Mark's grasp “Though I'm very glad I was wrong about it.”

“But-”

“I have to finish wiping the tables.”

So Jinyoung turns back around to continue fulfilling his task. Now he's very sure that Mark's eyes are on him, but he doesn't even attempt to confirm it. Their shift will end in five more minutes. All guests have left already. So if Jinyoung only survives these last few minutes, maybe Mark will magically forget over night that he did something weird again.

Though things turn out entirely different, in a way Jinyoung never would have expected, when the front door of the shop opens one more time.

“Sorry, we're closing in- Jaehyun?”

“Hey Jinyoung,” Jaehyun chirps as he approaches him. “Hey Mark!” he calls out a little louder so Mark would hear him behind the counter. But in return he only receives a muffled grunt.

“What are you doing here?” Jinyoung is absolutely stunned. He didn't expect to see Jaehyun again this quickly. Especially not after he seemed so heartbroken the other day. But now he smiles his typical school-prince-smile and acts pretty relaxed.

“Your shift is ending now, right? Can we go somewhere to talk?”

“Uhm... I have to finish the tables. We can talk while I'm working, no?”

“But I would prefer to do it in private.” He darts a glance over Jinyoung's shoulder, probably meeting Mark's eyes.

“But it's comfortable here and we don't have to especially go somewhere else. So it's fine. We just can talk here.” Jinyoung tries to sound casual. Jaehyun doesn't need to know that it would make him feel uneasy and highly uncomfortable to be alone with him.

“Fine,” he relents with a sigh. So he just keeps staying close to Jinyoung while he moves from table to table, cleaning them meticulously. “I thought about the things you were saying the other day. I thought long and hard. I came to the conclusion that I can't accept your decision.”

“E-Excuse me?” Now Jinyoung has to interrupt his work once again to straighten himself up and focus on the other. For a moment he was hoping Jaehyun made another very unfunny joke, but the look of determination on his face tells him otherwise. “What do you mean?”

“We were such a good couple, Jinyoung. Maybe it wasn't that obvious to you, but we complemented each other perfectly. We-”

“Jaehyun,” Jinyoung sighs. “I told you I wasn't even in it with my whole heart, so please stop telling me we were the perfect couple. It's not true. At least not for me.”

“Give us a real chance and you'll see for yourself.”

“I told you I can't. I told you _why_ I can't. Please try to move on. It's for your own good,” Jinyoung says softly, fully aware of the desperation in the other's eyes.

“No, only _you_ are for my own good. Nobody can do what you did for me,” he pleads, a weary tremble in his voice. “Jinyoung, you were the only one who ever accepted me the way I am. I mean the real me, not somebody people want to see in me or somebody I pretend to be. It was only ever you. And now you just want to leave me behind?”

“You need to realize something very important, Jaehyun. You need to show people your true self for them to accept you. If you're not brave enough to do that, of course nobody will find you behind your well-constructed mask.”

“But you've found your way to me despite everything. You didn't need an invitation. You just barged in and made yourself at home. And that was exactly what I needed.”

“That's not because I'm special. It had a lot to do with coincidence, right time, right place, and your willingness to take a step towards me. You can do it again.”

“No, I don't want to do it again.” His words sound so dejected. The urge to hug him wells up in Jinyoung, but he can't do this now. This would send wrong signals. He must take a hard line on this, as difficult as it is.

“Why not? Because it's hard?”

“Because I know I won't find somebody more precious than you. There is nobody out there who could rival you, Jinyoung. Every attempt to search would be futile.”

“You didn't even try. You didn't even take a look around yet and seriously tried to find somebody else. You didn't give your heart the chance to move on yet. So don't say there's nobody better than me when you don't have the slightest idea about all the amazing people out there.”

Something happens inside Jaehyun. Jinyoung can see it when his facial features harden. The desperation, the pleading look, it's all gone. Jinyoung holds his breath, waiting for what comes next. The silence is almost deafening but he wants to give Jaehyun some time to think. There's still the spark of hope in Jinyoung. A spark of hope that the other would finally understand his reasoning. But when Jaehyun tears his eyes away from the floor to glare at him, Jinyoung realizes how stupid it was to hope in the first place.

“I never thought you could be this selfish,” he spits.

“What?”

“We were in a relationship once, I still claim it was a happy one, and now you just don't care about me anymore. You don't care that you're hurting me.”

Jinyoung's eyebrows draw together in astonishment. It's difficult for him to comprehend the change of direction in this discussion. “How did you come up with this all of the sudden?”

“You were so caring once, but you turned into a cold-blooded jerk.”

“I have no idea what goes on in your mind, honestly. It's not like I don't care how you're feeling. But if a relationship with me is the only thing that can make you feel accomplished, then I can't help you. The best thing I can do is giving you space.”

“Or you could give me what I want!” he demands and takes a step forward. By default, Jinyoung takes a step back, but he bumps into a table behind him in the process.

“I have already explained to you that-”

“Selfish!” he grunts.

Jinyoung tries his best to appear calm. The panic which flows through him mustn't seep out.

“I told you, I don't reciprocate the feelings you developed for me. Do you want me to be with you out of pity?”

“How dare you say something this disrespectful, you little slut!” He charges at Jinyoung abruptly and unexpectedly. Jinyoung feels his wrist caught in a vice-like grip. The situation has become threatening. There's no room for suppressing his panic anymore Jinyoung draws back, or better he tries to, because there's still the table behind him. He butts against the edge of it, trying to find a way out of this misery.

“HEY! Don't talk to him this way! He made his point. Now leave him alone!” he hears Mark's growling voice. But it's not coming from behind the counter anymore. It's way too close.

And only a moment later Jinyoung is freed from the fingers which were wrapped around his wrist. Apparently Mark peeled Jaehyun's hand off of him before he shoved himself into the space between them to shield Jinyoung.

“Stay out of this! You've done enough,” Jaehyun grumbles.

“No idea what you're talk-”

“Oh Jinyoung,” Jaehyun interrupts Mark, suddenly a mocking tone in his voice. “I can't believe you still carry this sappy piece of trash around. I told you to throw it away.” He crouches down to pick something up from the floor. And when Jinyoung sees a blue shimmer peeping out between his fingers, his insides twist with dread. The rose must have dropped out of his pocket and the zipper pouch when he struggled against his attacker. “You tend to be sentimental about the entirely wrong things,” he sneers when he beholds the flower head sitting in his palm.

“Give it back!” Jinyoung barks.

“Or what? Will you beat me up? Will you make me cry, like my friends and I made _you_ cry in high school?” he laughs bitterly.

Jinyoung can't believe it. Why must he be like that? What's gotten into him? Bringing this up now, in front of Mark all over again, is such a nasty move. He remembers exactly how it felt, this feeling of shame when Mark found out about the bullying back then. And it feels just as dreadful now as it felt at that time.

“Shut up! You don't have any right to mention this!”

“Jinyoung... what is he talking about?” Mark asks as he turns towards him to carefully observe Jinyoung's face. But he can't do this. Jinyoung can't look at Mark. Everything is still too painful. He's too embarrassed. Everything is so fucked up again.

“What? You don't remember anymore, Mark?” Jinyoung can't believe what he witnesses. Where is this spiteful behavior coming from? The sneer twisted Jaehyun's handsome face into a scornful grimace. Every word is dripping with pure venom when he continues to speak to Mark. “The way this little loser here so desperately tried to protect his even more pathetic loser friends and ended up getting his ass kicked every time?”

That's it. Mark's shoulders stiffen. His face turns into a scowl when he glares at Jaehyun. Then he snaps. “Get the fuck out of here, asshole!” He pushes him aggressively in the chest. That's something Jaehyun wasn't prepared for. He stumbles backwards, almost losing his balance.

After he has regained his composure, he hisses back. “I told you to stay out of this! You ruined things for me before so-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP! You can't just come in here, behaving like the biggest scumbag under the sun, and actually expect Jinyoung to take you back. You delusional fucker! Get out of here and never come back. You're banned from entering this shop. And also remember to keep your distance from Jinyoung!”

“Or what?” Jaehyun challenges, glaring at Mark.

“Or you will regret it. I'm triple national kung fu champion. One hand would be enough to finish you off, you clown! Come if you dare! Let's see who will end up crying today, coward!”

Mark's stance, the confidence in his voice, everything seems to unnerve the other. And it makes sense, Jinyoung concludes. Behind his perfect facade, Jaehyun always was this unsure, scared lost boy. And now it shows once again. His confidence seems to crumble to pieces as he stares back at Mark, uncertainty written all over his features.

“So I guess that means you don't want to fight with me. At least one clever decision,” Mark barks. “So will you get out on your own now? Or do you need my help?”

He still stays rooted to the spot. His gaze shifts to Jinyoung, his eyes now big and pleading again. All the scorn and spite is completely wiped from his face. But it's over, they both know it. After today, after this, there won't ever be a chance for them again, whether it is as a couple or as friends.

“Fine, I'll help you,” Mark eventually huffs, after Jaehyun still shows no willingness to leave.

With fierce determination, Mark pushes him towards the door. Not for a single moment, while being manhandled, Jaehyun takes his gaze off Jinyoung. His eyes are still silently asking Jinyoung for forgiveness. But the damage is done and he can't think about forgiveness right now. Jinyoung shakes his head no and averts his eyes.

Mark is almost done shoving him out of the door. That's when Jinyoung remembers something from long ago, something he needs to tell him. “JAEHYUN! CALL DUMB AND ASK HIM OUT! CALL HIM!”

And then the door is shut and Mark locks it.

The sudden silence feels like an inaudible explosion. Mark's intense gaze on him makes him look away, makes him feel abashed for all kinds of reasons. Jinyoung feels weird, like standing between two roaring freight trains. But he realizes that this feeling is only caused by his own thoughts which rattle around his brain, screaming at him. It's all a little bit too much for him.

So his mind wanders back to the easiest thing for now. He hopes Jaehyun will call Dumb. Jinyoung hadn't seen him since he was kicked out of high school, but with a little luck he still crushes on Jaehyun. Maybe they will find happiness in each other, or maybe they won't ever find happiness anywhere because they deny it to themselves. But that is out of Jinyoung's control.

“Hey.” He snaps to attention when he hears Mark's soft voice. It's such a huge difference to the tone he used to bark at Jaehyun only a minute ago. Jinyoung glances up, making only brief eye contact before looking back down. “Are you oki?”

Jinyoung nods his head without looking at him again.

“I think you're lying,” Mark murmurs.

When Jinyoung glances up the next time, Mark stands right in front of him. There's a small smile on his chiseled features. Jinyoung assumes it's supposed to be an encouraging one, but it kind of looks sad. Mark's eyes are kind. There's a fondness in them which he remembers from a long time ago. Only sheer fondness, no pity. Now Jinyoung has to bite down on his bottom lip in order to compose himself, preventing tears from welling up in his eyes.

“I have something that belongs to you,” Mark whispers.

“Yeah, my heart. Ha ha...” Jinyoung knows it's a stupid and lame joke but he can't think straight right now.

“This as well, yeah. But I'm talking about something else now.” Jinyoung still stares at the floor but then Mark's hand appears in his field of vision. And when his fist uncurls, there sits the blue rose in his palm, still in perfect condition and forever unbothered. It hits Jinyoung like a brick, the fact that Jaehyun almost stole it from him, that he was so close to losing this important keepsake forever.

“No, it belongs to _you_ ,” Jinyoung whispers, still staring at the flower head.

“Hmm? What was that?”

Jinyoung looks up at Mark now. He seems confused. He doesn't know. He doesn't remember. He's holding his own magical item in his hand, and not even this brings back his memories. It hurts a little, the moment when Jinyoung realizes that he still had hope for Mark to remember some day. But now it's time to let it go. When not even this rings a bell, there's no sensible reason to keep holding on to any hope.

“Jinyoung?”

“Oh... yeah... it was nothing. Thank you. It's important to me,” he mumbles as he takes the flower from him and cradles it in his hands.

“Why is it important to you?”

“It's a memento from a time when I was at my lowest and a miracle stormed into my life, proving to me that it can get better.”

“It sounds interesting. Would you like to tell me more about it?” Mark asks gently.

Jinyoung darts another glance at him. Only a quick one. Then he pockets the flower head. “Maybe not today.”

“Oki... that's oki.”

“Oki,” Jinyoung parrots. He's still sort of paralyzed after the events. His mind is roaring and absolutely numb at the same time.

“Hey Jinyoung, if you're free now, would you like to come with me to a coffee shop? We can have something tasty to eat or drink or both. And we could talk about things you feel like talking about.”

Now Jinyoung looks at him, not only glancing. It's rather a round-eyed stare.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I feel like hanging out with you. We don't see each other often enough,” he jokes. “So what do you say?”

“Yeah, I would like that.” A tight-lipped smile works its way across Jinyoung's mouth. Maybe something good is coming out of this after all.

“So come on, let's get our stuff.”

Mark slings an arm around his shoulder and playfully pulls Jinyoung along with him.

(*≧ω≦*)

The short walk to the coffee shop is quiet. Jinyoung still tries to process the events with Jaehyun. On the other hand it's overwhelming for him that he's about to have a date with Mark, or something which is the closest thing to a date they had so far. It's hard to believe. He worked towards this goal with such determination and was sure that he wouldn't feel anything but unbridled joy when it finally would come true. And he is certainly very happy now. What surprises him is the prickly feeling of nervousness in his chest.

He's supposed to be cool and suave, instead he feels flustered and jittery, just like he felt when he was a teenager. But maybe that's exactly how it is supposed to be. It's important. He doesn't want to mess this up. He wants to be closer to Mark, not scaring him away with yet another confusing interaction.

Mark opens the door and steps aside, looking at Jinyoung expectantly. The latter just stays rooted to the spot, only blinking at Mark, until he realizes that he is holding the door open for him. Quickly, he stumbles inside, mumbling a soft “Thank you” in passing.

They get hot beverages, two slices of carrot cake and some soft cookies, before they grab a booth in the corner. They munch on their treats in silence until Jinyoung remembers a detail from earlier.

“I didn't know you can do kung fu, let alone being some kind of master.”

“Nah, I never had a single kung fu lesson in my entire life,” Mark admits casually.

“What?”

“Listen, I had to intimidate him somehow. And the threat 'Hey, I can eat half a butter cream cake in less than 15 minutes.' isn't intimidating enough. So I thought it's better to come up with a little lie. All I needed to do was scaring him. I know guys like him, all bark and no bite. I knew he wouldn't even try to fight me.”

“Wow, seems like it's _you_ who has humans all figured out,” Jinyoung snickers. Also he still can lie like a champ, Jinyoung adds in his mind. Some things never change.

“I think you're right. Maybe your skills rub off on me,” Mark suggests.

“Maybe,” Jinyoung murmurs with a faint smile on his lips.

“Is it oki to talk about.... _him_?” Mark asks cautiously. All playfulness left his voice with the question in the air. When Jinyoung looks up, it happens again, Mark's pretty doe eyes and the way he tilts his head to the side take his breath away for a few seconds. But he swore to himself that he wouldn't act weird anymore, so he tries to search for his composure. But where is it? Under the table? Still in the sandwich shop? Anyway, composure doesn't seem to be within reach at the moment. So he keeps staring at the beauty in front of him and just nods his head jerkily about 10 times per second.

“So this guy.... Jaehyun.... your ex..... he still had a lot of nice things to say about you.”

“You have heard everything?”

“Yeah, the counter is actually not a soundproof barrier, you know?” he snickers, and it elicits a smile from Jinyoung as well. “I mean sure, he also said many borderline crazy things, but the most parts were about what a special person you are.”

“Ha ha... yeah, see what a good catch I am,” he says meekly.

“I like how you never stop promoting yourself. Even in the most inappropriate situation you come up with things like this,” he laughs.

“Usually I'm not like this. But I realized that I need to tell you that I'm great for you to believe that I'm great.”

“So you say I'm thick as a brick, huh?”

“No,” Jinyoung chuckles, marveling at Mark's cute lopsided grin. “No, that's really not what I meant. But since we didn't hit it off very well at first, I thought I had a lot of persuading to do. You had this entirely fixed opinion about me and.... I just had to work hard to convince you otherwise.”

“At first I thought you're the biggest weirdo on earth, but I was wrong, huh?”

“Yeah, you were wrong,” Jinyoung confirms, offering him a cheeky smile.

Mark returns it immediately. “Weird, since I have humans all figured out. How could I be so wrong?”

“I don't know, but it seems you need to improve your skills.”

“But wait, I actually was right about this Jaehyun guy. Remember when I told you I was getting angry right when he opened his mouth for the first time? It was happening again today. As soon as he walked in, I wanted to kick his ass. He hadn't even said a single word and I already wanted him to vanish into the pits of hell. I don't know why his sheer presence makes me so angry, but after today I think it's somehow justified.”

“Sounds sensible. And you kept yourself in check pretty well.”

“Until he started to move closer and closer to you. And you looked to damn uncomfortable and then... oh wow, _then_ there was this insult and I just lost it.”

“Thanks for stepping in. I was temporarily out of order because I was so taken aback,” Jinyoung mumbles sheepishly.

“No problem. Every time, Jinyoung.” The way Mark's warm smile has a direct connection to the warm feeling which spreads in Jinyoung's chest is just crazy. Mark always instinctively knew how he could make him feel better, how to make him feel reassured, how to protect him. “So I know it's none of my business, but..... starting a relationship with your former high school bully is a bit odd in my opinion.”

“I think you're right about that.”

“So how did it happen? Do you feel like talking about it?”

Yes, Jinyoung does feel like talking about it, especially after what Mark had to witness today. He deserves an explanation. So Jinyoung starts talking, not too detailed, about Jaehyun's complicated feelings for him and how he became his bully. He tells him about the entire bully gang, how they picked on him and his friends and how they eventually were able to kick them out of school (needless to say, all without a single mention of magic). And then he tells Mark about the time when their paths crossed again and how Jaehyun apologized for his mistakes. And then he explains how he unintentionally stumbled into a relationship with him while he was very sad and barely capable of sorting out his emotions. At last Jinyoung reveals that he broke up with Jaehyun when the other insisted that they were a real couple. Back then, Jinyoung was aware that he wasn't in any condition to build a healthy and loving bond with someone, so he considered it necessary to end things with Jaehyun before hurting him more.

“So for you it was just satisfying physical desires, but for him it was the real deal,” Mark summarizes.

“Yeah, seems so. I should have realized it sooner. I would have ended it right away. But I was convinced we had a casual arrangement.”

“And still you impressed him so much that he wants you back up to this day.”

“That's one of the borderline crazy parts which you mentioned earlier.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Can I choose to give an answer or not?”

“Of course.”

Jinyoung cups his hands around the mug in front of him, enjoying the warmth against his palms. “Then go ahead.” There are many questions left hanging in the air which Mark could potentially ask. Most of them would probably be difficult to answer.

Mark sucks in his bottom lip, collecting his thoughts first. “Why.... why were you so sad?”

Yes, it's one of the most difficult questions. “I lost a dear person who was very close to me. It completely threw me off the track. I had good days, but I also had many bad days. All in all it took me a lot of time to get back on my feet.”

“Oh....”

“Sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?

“I ruined the mood.”

“But I did ask you about it and you just gave an answer.”

“Doesn't change the fact that I ruined the mood,” Jinyoung snorts.

“Mhhh, yeah maybe. But we can fix the mood. No problem. Just tell me.... you're doing better now, right?”

“Yeah, it took me a while but I'm doing really good now.” Jinyoung flashes him a soft and genuine smile to ease his concerns. And it works. He can see the relief on Mark's face.

And that's also a relief for Jinyoung. He doesn't want to make Mark sad. There were already too many sad moments when they got to know each other years ago. Not that Jinyoung was nonstop sad back then, no, it was a time full of moments rich with emotions. The spark which existed between them, which grew to become a whole lightning, made it even better. But the bullying, the anxiousness, the constant tension and eventually the heart-wrenching goodbye left an imprint in Jinyoung's soul. Now he's determined to make the most of their second chance. He wants to ensure that it will be a pleasant time for the both of them. Nobody will ruin this. Nobody will keep them from being happy.

“Fall seven times. Stand up eight.”

“Pardon?”

“My dad always says this. Basically it means that you will eventually succeed when you're resilient enough. I just thought that you must have tried really hard to get better.”

“That's an interesting approach. Your dad seems to be a wise man. Can I ask _you_ something now?” Mark nods his head. “What are your parents like?”

“Do you want to change the subject?”

“Not necessarily. I'm just curious.”

“Oki, fine. Let me think.... what are they like?! They are pretty chill. Good parents. Caring but not overbearing. Every time they gave us advice, it was more like a recommendation. They left it to us if we would follow it or not. But they also reminded us that we would have to deal with the consequences by ourselves, if we choose to go our own way. And so it was. Sometimes we did dare to go our own way. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it went wrong and we really had to deal with it alone. They wanted us to become gradually more independent by learning from mistakes. But once or twice in our lives, Lynn and I fucked up terribly, and then they interfered anyway like 'Okay now step aside kid. Adults will deal with it.',” Mark chuckles. The way he talks so fondly about his parents is too adorable. “That was pretty reassuring, to be honest. It's like they let us test the waters and fight the waves by ourselves. But in case a wave knocked us over, there was always a hand behind us, ready to grab our arm and pull us back to the shore.”

“T-That sounds... s-so great,” Jinyoung stammers. He knows he should stop comparing human Mark's memories with fairy Mark's experiences. He knows. But still, the young fairy Mark was so lonely, without the protection, love and care of a family, exposed to all these nasty fairies who harassed him for his appearance. To know that human Mark experienced the exact opposite makes Jinyoung just incredibly happy.

“Are you crying?” Mark leans further over the table to get a closer look at Jinyoung's face, who in return tries to hide it behind his hands.

“No.”

“But.... _you are_.”

“I'm just so happy that you grew up in this amazing home, with this amazing and caring family, where you always felt loved and cherished.”

“Okiiiii..... you're an emotional one, right?” There's a mix of utter surprise and amusement flickering across Mark's face. Jinyoung is probably weird again, but the other doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

“Depends on the topic.”

“So I make you emotional?”

Jinyoung dabs his eyes dry with his sleeve. “People I care about make me emotional easily, yes. I'm over it in a second. Just a second.”

“It's fine. Take your time.” Mark leans back in his seat, eyes still lingering on Jinyoung. “Not gonna lie, I like that you're so empathetic. It makes everything you do so..... genuine.”

“You were doubting my genuineness?”

“No, that's not it. I just thought that the guys who were interested in me so far, weren't even remotely like you.”

“You mean your asshole boyfriends?”

“Yeah,” Mark chuckles.

“Yep, you're definitely better off with a crybaby than an asshole. You just have to supply me with love and tissues, and I'll make you happy forever.”

Mark smiles at him, so soft and warm. “Alright, I'll keep that in mind.”

“You better do!”

“Oki, pouty baby. I hope you're aware that this is a big promise. To make me happy forever, I would love to know how you want to manage that.”

“I told you some weeks ago and now it came true,” Jinyoung says smugly.

“You told me what?”

“That you would lie awake at night and ponder about what a fantastic boyfriend I could be for you. You didn't want to believe me back then. And now here we are.”

“I never said anything about lying awake at night and-”

“It's the things you don't say which make me understand.”

“That doesn't even make sense!” Mark throws his hands up, sporting a slightly desperate looking smile.

“No point in denying. I really made you so curious about what kind of boyfriend I could be to you. How I would take your hand and be by your side, always supportive, no matter if you need your encouragement to be loud and passionate or quiet and calm. I would always be there when you need me. I would listen. I also would confide in you, trust you. We could share opinions, discuss, lean on each other's strengths, forgive each other's weaknesses. We could find true happiness and comfort in each other. And I could make you see stars as soon as I take your dick in my mouth-”

“Oki, hold up! Hold up!” Mark looks around furtively, probably checking if anyone has heard. “How was this such a romantic speech and suddenly your mind goes porn?” he laughs and shakes his head in disbelief.

“Because as your boyfriend I can be romantic _and_ sexy. With me you get the whole package. It's a one-time special offer, so better hurry and get your own personal Jinyoung before he's out of stock! For today only - free shipping on all orders!”

Mark throws his head back, laughing heartily and freely. “Park Jinyoung, you're crazy! You're insane! There's no other explanation.”

Jinyoung props his chin on his hand and purrs, “I guess I'm the perfect match for Prince Boring then.”

“Aaaah, so relentless!” Mark fake whines. “Can you be quiet and just give me one of your terribly awkward winks? They're kind of cute.”

“Everything for you, pretty boy!” Jinyoung fulfills his wish and in return Mark's grin only broadens on his handsome face.

“Good, I think we should call it a day, before your mind goes back into the gutter,” he says after he emptied his mug. “You're living around here, right?”

“Yeah, want to spend the night?” Jinyoung flashes him a wolfish grin.

“Aaaand we're back in the gutter. That was fast. But no, I just think it would be nice to accompany you home.”

“Because you feel obligated to do so?”

“No, because I'm not sure if this Jaehyun idiot is still around, and because I really want to,” Mark admits casually.

Jinyoung could squeal with delight, but he tries to not be weird for a change. “Cool. Then let's go.”

They leave the coffee shop and step out into the warm night.

“Hmmm,” Mark hums quietly. “Maybe you should let me hold your hand so I won't lose you in the crowd.”

It's late. There are barely any people out.

“Yeah, I think that's a good idea,” Jinyoung agrees and takes the hand which Mark offers him. It still feels perfect.


	17. 2.6

“It's going super well with Mark. Finally we're making some progress. He was holding my hand voluntarily! VO – LUN – TA – RI – LY BOOM! It was perfect. He's even flirting with me! I swear my cookies and cake agenda made it happen,” Jinyoung gushes in the little kitchen of their apartment.

“Sad that you have to rely on tricks instead of yourself.”

“Jaebeom, I say this with all due respect, but can you shut the fuck up? I needed to get a foot in the door and pastries did that for me. If he wouldn't like me at all, I'm sure food wouldn't have changed his mind. What kind of best friend are you when you can't be happy for me after I gave it my all?”

Jaebeom heaves a deep sigh and ruffles his own hair. “I'm sorryyyy! I'm sorry, Jinyoungie! Come here!” He traps him in a torturous backhug.

“First you're obnoxious and now you try to smash my ribcage. What the heck is even going on with you?” Jinyoung wheezes.

“I didn't mean to do either of these.” He releases Jinyoung, who needs to catch his breath now. “It's just.... sorry, I am happy for you. I swear. I'm just a little...”

“Yeah?”

“Now it's finally going well for you and Mark, but suddenly it gets awkward between me and Jackson. Why can't it ever go well for both of us?”

“What's up with you and Jackson? I thought it was working out pretty good.” Jinyoung offers Jaebeom the tea he made for himself and starts to work on another one. His best friend accepts it and takes a seat at their tiny kitchen table.

“Yeah, it was going so well. Really well! When we were in his room yesterday, we even cuddled in his bed while watching a movie. It was so warm and cozy. And it also felt very intimate. It felt like being boyfriends.”

“That's great. I mean, a straight guy doesn't cuddle with his bro? At least... most straight guys I know don't do that.”

“Yep, I thought the same. But then there was this really weird moment like.... no wait, initially it wasn't weird. It was a perfect first-kiss-moment. He held me in his arms and then he said something in a very low voice. I couldn't hear him properly, so I looked up at him and asked him to repeat it. But our eyes met and there.... there were fireworks, and electricity and all these corny things people always use to describe these special moments. It was exactly like that. And he started to lean down and then I craned my neck to meet him halfway.”

“Yes? And then? _And then_? Speak!”

“And then he froze, for a very long, awkward moment. Then he pulled back and made a random joke about the main actor of the movie. And I was like 'Ha ha ha yeah' while I actually wanted to start bawling. Why didn't he finish what he started? _Why_? Does he still have doubts? I mean... _still,_ Jinyoung?”

Jaebeom sinks deeper into his seat, looking like some miserable blob. Jinyoung now carefully sets his hot mug on the table and takes a seat across from him.

“It's a big deal for him, Jaebeom. Don't take it personally. Maybe he just needs a little more time.”

“What if this moment brought him back to his senses? What if he asked himself 'What am I even doing here kissing a fucking dude when I could have every cute girl I want?'. What if he realized that this is pure madness? Jinyoung, _what if_?“

“What happened after this moment? Did he shove you away from him and stormed out of the room?”

“No. We kept cuddling and finished watching the movie. And he buried his face into my hair.”

“I don't think he had any of your mentioned revelations when he sniffed your hair afterwards.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“I just still think that Jackson is this very honest guy. When he suddenly would come to the realization that guys are disgusting, he would tell you instead of smelling your hair and leading you on.”

“Maybe.”

“I know you're disappointed and insecure, but don't give up now. You're almost there. But it wouldn't do any good to rush things now. You can't overwhelm him with demands and just expect that he deals with it somehow.”

“I know,” he mutters.

“Fine, then stop looking like these disgruntled old persons in the park who are always nagging the kids to quiet down.”

“Fine!”

“Only saying it doesn't equal doing it, but I guess we're on the right track.” Jinyoung shrugs and continues to blow on his hot tea.

“Hey Jinyoung?” Jaebeom's tone changed. It somehow is tamer all of the sudden. It makes Jinyoung look up again. “You are this very special person-”

“Oh no.”

“A literal angel.”

“No no no no no.”

“You loooove to help other people.”

“Oh fuck what is coming now?”

“Especially your bestest best friend in the world, right?”

“Just say what you want and stop scaring me, okay?” Jinyoung sighs.

“Please talk to Jackson and find out what goes on in his mind.”

“But I'm not even involved. Why don't _you_ talk to him and find out?”

“He won't tell me anything. It seems like he has some doubts right now, but I'm sure he thinks he would hurt me if he told me about these doubts. He obviously likes me..... in whatever way. And the last thing he would want to do is hurting me. At least I know _that_ much. So I need you to find out about these doubts and if you can, dispel them. Quickly. With all your might. Please.”

“What kind of relationship is this when I always have to be the mediator every time you encounter a problem?”

“Technically we're not in a relationship yet. So I can assure you that as soon as we're official, we will probably solve all our problems with sex.”

“I don't know what I'd rather do now, throwing this hot tea in _your_ face or in _mine_.”

Jaebeom clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, Jinyoung. We aren't kids anymore.”

“So if you're such an adult, why don't you try to solve problems on your own?” Jinyoung sasses.

“Jinyoung,” he sighs. “Will your petty ass have mercy on me or not?” He's desperate by now. And basically Jinyoung knows he isn't asking out of cowardice. If Jaebeom would feel capable of solving this problem on his own, he probably would. But now he's asking him. Jinyoung knows how important this is for his best friend. And if he would be able to fix their problem, he also would help Jackson in the process. The main goal is for them to be happy in the end, and Jinyoung still assumes that they would be the happiest as a couple.

“Fine, I will try my best.”

“You're an angel! The golden boy! A true friend! And the best boy ever!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. But I can't guarantee for anything. I don't even know why you think he would confide in me.”

“He will. Because you're just that person. People love to tell you their problems.”

“Aren't I lucky?”

Jaebeom beholds him with a wide grin. “It's so cute when you try to act all pissed off, even though you're happy on the inside.”

“What-fucking-ever, Jaebeom,” Jinyoung says sulkily and adds a pout for good measure. But this seems to amuse his best friend even more. “Anyway, end of discussion. Can I ask you something now? Something.... weird?”

“Sure. What's up?”

“Does Jackson sometimes bring up things which basically only Jackson Sparklesby can know of?” His friend's chin drops as he stares at Jinyoung. The latter is glad Jaebeom already finished swallowing the sip of tea he took before. “I take that as a yes?”

“Yeah, he does. Lately even more often than in the beginning. I thought I was delusional and tried not to pay too much attention to it. But Mark?”

“Yeah, same with Mark. Out of the blue he drops words or phrases which are just too specific to let it pass with a shrug. And it happens a lot these days. Jaebeom, what is this?”

“No idea, but it slowly drives me crazy.”

“It's confusing, right? Every time I force myself to give up hope for Mark to remember, he drops something like 'Don't wet your Totoro panties, blushy baby.'. And let's be honest, nobody in their right mind would say such a phrase just by accident.”

“I agree. So what is this?”

“You think there's still hope for them to regain their memories?”

“Actually no, I don't. If they don't do by now, I have no idea what else needs to happen for them to finally remember. It's not like we can tell them the truth and just hope for the best. If they still wouldn't remember then, they'll think we are complete weirdos.”

“Please! I just got rid of this image! Mark thought I was a weirdo for the longest time. No way I would risk it all for such a slim chance.”

“So what do we do?”

“Trying to not go crazy and accepting this new reality.”

Jaebeom slowly nods his head. “Yeah, let's do this. After giving up on liking cats, this is just a minor problem.”

(*≧ω≦*)

“HELLO DEAR FRIENDS, I CAME TO BRING GOOD NEWS!”

Jinyoung and Mark flinch behind the counter when Jackson bounces into the shop like a rubber ball.

“Jackson, you're early.” Mark points out.

Jackson comes to a stop after he joined them behind the counter. “I know this concept is completely foreign to you but yes, people can be early,” Jackson says cheekily.

“Shut up, I know how to be early. Tell him, Jinyoung!”

“Yep, Mark is super punctual these days. He got his act together.”

“Wow, really? Why _now_ , Mark? What did change after 21 years to finally stop you from being tragically late all of the time? I wonder.” Jinyoung doesn't miss the way Jackson smirks at him before he meets Mark's eyes again.

But in response to Jackson's sassiness, Mark only heaves a sigh. “Weren't you yelling about bringing good news a minute ago? Was it an empty promise?”

“Nope. I'm actually here to finish your shift for you. You're free to go, bestie.”

Mark furrows his brow in confusion and folds his arms. “Wait a minute, what's going on?”

“Why must something be going on?” Jackson questions with an angelic expression on his face.

“ _Jackson!_ ”

“Okay okay, fine. I need to discuss something with Jinyoung, so I thought this would be a good opportunity.”

Apparently Jinyoung doesn't even need to create a situation to talk with Jackson, like Jaebeom requested. The opportunity just came running to him. But the predominant emotion on Mark's face is still skepticism.

“What in the world do you have to discuss with him?”

“Wow, calm down, tiger. Just gay stuff. I need some guidance.”

“I'm pretty sure it didn't escape your attention that I'm gay as well and... uhm... I'm also your best friend?”

“Yes, I know. But it's some Jaebeom-specific gay stuff so I think Jinyoung is more knowledgeable in this area,” Jackson reasons while he gives Jinyoung a pat on the back.

But Mark is still not having it. “Hmmm, whatever you have to say, you can say to both of us. Two minds are better than one, right?”

“No! No no no no, that's not a good idea. Terrible idea actually. Just go!”

“You're acting suspicious,” Mark declares. And Jinyoung couldn't agree more. Just what does Jackson want to talk about that he can't mention in front of Mark? Or maybe he would just be embarrassed to talk about his sexuality in front of more people than necessary? On the other hand, it's Jackson, so that's probably not it.

“And you're annoying,” Jackson scoffs. “Just get out of here, enjoy your freedom, and give us some gay privacy.”

“This sounds _so_ wrong.”

“Oh uhm, no, I didn't mean it like _gay privacy_ to do gay stuff in privacy,” Jackson corrects himself when Mark fixes him with a pensive stare.

“Then fucking don't say gay privacy. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Maaaark, just leave, okay? I came here so you can leave earl-”

“No, you came here to talk to Jinyoung about something I'm not supposed to know. And that's weird. Don't be weird, Jackson. Explain yourself!”

“It's about Jaebeom's body fluids.”

“Oki, I'm out of here. Have fun. See you on Monday.” Just like that Mark scurries towards the doorway, already taking off his apron.

“It seems this topic isn't up his alley,” Jinyoung comments dryly while Mark vanishes into the break room. “Though I'd say Jaebeom's body fluids aren't really among my personal top issues either. But if I can be of any assistance..... I guess.”

“Okay spoiler alert: This isn't about Jaebeom's body fluids.”

“Huh? Then what else is this about?”

“Not yet. Just wait a minute.” Jackson still peers into the doorway, looking like a lousy secret service agent. Only when Jinyoung hears the sound of the back door closing, the other turns around to face him.

“Great, he's gone. Now come with me.” Jackson grabs Jinyoung's wrist and tries to drag him along, but Jinyoung wants to understand first.

“Where do we go?”

“Break room. We really need some gay privacy.”

“Mark was right, and it still sounds _so_ wrong.”

“Whatever! Come on, Jinyoung. We need to get this done before Jaebeom arrives for our shift.”

“But we can't just leave. There are guests present and they need service and supervision.”

“No, they don't. Look, they are happily eating. They don't need us now. Also they all look like good and honest people to me, so I assume they won't rob this shop. And now come.”

Although slightly hesitant, Jinyoung follows Jackson to the break room. He leans against the few staff lockers as Jackson closes the door behind him. The latter now walks over to him, looking at Jinyoung attentively. It makes him slightly uneasy, he has to admit that.

“We're friends, right?”

“Yeah?”

“And friends can ask favors of their friends, right?”

“I guess so?”

“Alright..... so I ask you for a favor now,” Jackson announces, though it sounds more like he's trying to convince himself to really do it than informing Jinyoung about it. “Jinyoung, can I kiss you?”

“WHAT?”

“Psst! What good does gay privacy do when you shriek the entire place down?”

“I'm sorry for being slightly surprised at your request, so let me rephrase: What the actual fuck, Jackson?” Jinyoung snaps.

“Okay, you of course deserve an explanation. I would like to find out what kissing a guy feels like... if it feels.... okay. You know?”

“Uhm...uh... maybe you should ask Jaebeom. I think he would be glad to assist you.”

“That's the point. I know he kinda hopes that I would like it. So I don't want to raise his hopes by kissing him just to realize that I don't like it at all. I don't want to disappoint him, Jinyoung. So I just want to find out about it before I try it with him.”

“Well.... surprisingly, when you explain it this way, it sounds slightly sensible. Still, I really don't think we should do that. It feels wrong.”

“Jinyoung, please, I need your help,” he begs.

“Wait, was this the reason why you didn't pull through kissing him on your cuddle date?”

“HE TOLD YOU?” Jackson yells, looking abashed but also pretty desperate. Jinyoung presses himself a little more into the lockers when he realizes that he probably just blundered big time.

“Psst, remember?”

“Fine!” Jackson huffs and lowers his voice. “He told you?”

“Uhm... n-no-”

“It's too late to lie, Jinyoung.” Now his hands come up and grip is blond hair while sheer misery spreads across his face. “Oh god, he talked about it with you. He probably already finds me annoying, and wonders why it takes me so long, and he probably soon has enough of my indecisive ass and leaves me. Oh gooood!”

“If this helps, I don't think he would ever do this,” Jinyoung suggests carefully to pull Jackson out of his pity attack.

“But he was confused about it, right?”

“That's true, but I think the both of you should talk with each other about it. I'm pretty sure you can fix this easily together.”

“Noooo, when I disappoint him one more time, I'm sure he had enough of my shit,” he whines. Jackson ruffles his hair fiercely, getting carried away with his misery.

“Okay, Jackson, calm down. Let me tell you that it feels just like kissing a girl. It only depends on the person and if you like them, not on the gender of that person.”

“So how many girls did you kiss before?”

“Uhm... technically I never kissed a girl.”

Jackson narrows his eyes, looking absolutely done. “Don't tell me it's the same when you have zero experience.”

“I just say that there's no reason to be afraid of it. You will like it. It's really no big deal.”

“If it's no big deal, then kiss me and show me.”

“No, it's no big deal with the right _person._ I'm not the one for you.”

“Jinyoung,” he sighs, “believe me, I'm aware that this request is very odd. But I wouldn't ask you, if it wasn't important for me. You can help us to start a real relationship, Jinyoung. You can eliminate the last bit of my insecurity with this good deed. It's up to you,” he pleads. Jackson is so close that he's pawing at Jinyoung's chest now, his round, shiny puppy eyes staring at him, begging him to give in.

“You're guilt-tripping me,” Jinyoung mumbles.

“No! That's not what-... I just want to make you understand. Please, Jinyoung. I need to be prepared and sure about it. I don't want to break his heart. Imagine the situation when my immature ass would freak out in front of him after kissing a guy for the first time. And Jaebeom would think he did something wrong, while he's actually perfect and wonderful and it's me who is the failure. He would blame himself even though it's me who's the mess. It would be so unfair to him. I can't bear this. Please, Jinyoung. Help me.”

A million thoughts per minute crash through Jinyoung's head. Of course he would like to help Jackson. And Jaebeom even said he should do everything in his power to solve whatever Jackson's problem is. But if his best friend would know what Jackson is asking of him, Jinyoung isn't so sure of his support anymore. Though he does understand Jackson's approach, and he truly appreciates it that he's treating Jaebeom's feeling with so much care. But kissing your best friend's love interest is very wrong on so many levels. Not to mention that Jinyoung would feel terrible about how he treats Mark. They might not be a couple yet, but there is definitely something growing between them and he doesn't plan on ruining it carelessly.

It seems like Jinyoung has taken too long to give a response. With a dejected sigh, Jackson's head drops. He takes a step back, taking his hands off Jinyoung's chest.

“I see, it is too much to ask. I'm sorry. Well... I have one other option.”

A spark of hope returns to Jinyoung when he asks, “Talking to Jaebeom about it?”

“Hell no! I told you why I can't do this,” he explains. Jinyoung understands that he doesn't want to hurt Jaebeom or scare him away, but as his best friend he also knows that Jaebeom wouldn't react like this. Not when it's Jackson. But the latter doesn't want to believe it. The fear of losing Jaebeom seems to cloud his mind too much. “Listen, originally I really didn't want to ask him, because I don't want to make things weird between us, but it seems like I have no other choice. Now I have to ask Mark for this favor.”

Jinyoung feels like he was hit by a bus. Despite 'the bus' being just Jackson's last few mumbled words, he feels physical pain.

“D-Do you think he would do it?” he blurts out.

“Well, he probably would call me crazy first, then he would try to talk me out of it, but in the end he would see how important this is for me. I would soften him up and he would relent. After all, he's my best friend, and we belong together no matter what. We make it through every crisis together.”

Does Jinyoung really want this? Does he want them to kiss? Mark is gay, Jackson, in all probability, is at least bi. So there would be a chance of both of them liking this kiss a little too much. Then would Jinyoung be responsible for them falling in love with each other? In this case he and Jaebeom end up without their fairy boys. Is this a risk he's willing to take?

No.

“Wait, we..... we can do it. We try it. And then you will see that you won't crumble to dust after kissing a guy, and then you can go to Jaebeom and suck his fucking lungs out, and then you both can be happy together until the end of your days.”

“Oh my god, YES!” Jackson crashes into him, hugging him tightly while he continues to babble into his shoulder. “Jinyoung, you're the best the best the best the best the very damn best!”

“Yeah, okay, fine. Let's get it over w-”

Before Jinyoung can finish his sentence, Jackson already presses his lips to his mouth, kissing him like there's no tomorrow. If this guy isn't eager to kiss other guys, then Jinyoung doesn't know what is even true anymore. The way Jackson shows zero hesitations only proves how much time he already has spent entertaining the idea in his head.

“I knew something was fishy, but I didn't expect the worst.”

'Oh no', that's the only thought that flashes up in Jinyoung's mind when he suddenly hears Mark's grumbling voice. This can't be true. In lightning speed Jinyoung pulls away from Jackson to sadly confirm that it is indeed true. Mark is standing in the door frame, scowling at them.

“Mark! It's not-”

“Yeah, alright. It's not what it looks like blah blah blah. I got all that shit from my ex before. Whatever! I don't care! Be happy together and don't invite me to the wedding!” With these words Mark turns around and leaves.

Jinyoung is thunderstruck. This has to be a nightmare. No way this is reality. What is up with this timing? He must be the unluckiest person on the whole damn planet. But suddenly he remembers that he isn't alone in this mess. With a side glance at Jackson he realizes the blond doesn't look nearly as shell-shocked as he should. Maybe it is even cheerfulness what Jinyoung spots on his face, while Jackson keeps touching his own lips gingerly.

“Jackson!” Jinyoung scolds to pull the other's head out of the clouds.

“Y-Yeah?”

“You saw him, too, right? And you heard him. I wasn't imagining things, right?”

“Mark? No, I saw him, too.”

“And? Say something!”

“That felt good, Jinyoung. I'm really confident now. I will kiss Jaebeom so good, like he never have been kissed before.”

“Are you actually FUCKING CRAZY?” Jinyoung is on the verge of a complete meltdown. He fists into Jackson's shirt and starts to shake him. “YOUR BEST FRIEND THINKS WE'RE MAKING OUT WITH EACH OTHER AND YOU JUST SAY 'HA HA I CAN KISS GUYS YAY'?”

“Oh, you're really angry. That's a first,” Jackson points out, his round eyes just blinking back at him.

“Jacksonnnnn,” Jinyoung whines upon his mindless statement. The clueless expression on his face isn't a great help either. “You know I'm so in love with Mark! You fucking know it! And it was going well. Suddenly there was this huge chance that he would like me back. And just now everything went down the drain. And he's obviously hurt. Do you comprehend this?”

“Oh... yeah... of course. Sorry, I was so overwhelmed by the prospect of kissing Jaebeom breathless. But yes, I see the problem. Don't worry, I'm going to fix it.”

“Thank heavens. Go! GO!”

“I will fix it after work.”

“FUCKING FIX IT _NOW_!” Jinyoung yells right into his face while shaking Jackson back and forth again.

“But my shift-”

“I cover your shift. Hell! Jackson, just do something to make it better. You can't let Mark believe that we have something going on.”

“Yes, you're right. Don't worry, I'm going to patch things up.”

“What if he's mad at us?” Jinyoung mumbles.

“But I will explain-”

“What if he's mad at us _despite_ the explanation?”

“Nah, he loves me. He will forgive me in no time.”

“So then he will blame it all on me, great.”

“Oh... not gonna lie, that might happen.” A frustrated groan escapes Jinyoung's mouth. He now takes his hands off Jackson and rather ruffles his hair in despair. “Uhm, but I'm sure he will come around. Really Jinyoung, don't worry.... _too much_ about it. I'm sure he will understand,” Jackson tries to soothe, but his voice lost so much confidence in comparison to the start.

“Just.... try your best and now please go!”

“Alright, cheer up and... thank you, Jinyoung. I know it was a weird plan but you helped me so much.” Jinyoung earns himself a pat on the back. Then Jackson dashes away.

Jinyoung slowly shakes his head while he rubs his palms over his face. How could things get out of hand so quickly?!

(*≧ω≦*)

Needless to say, Jaebeom wasn't amused when Jinyoung reported the latest events to him. But after a detailed explanation of the situation and Jinyoung's thoughts and motivation, his best friend gave in. Well, to be exact he sulked for about half an hour first and gave in then. Jinyoung and Jaebeom afterwards agreed that Jackson is an idiot sometimes.

Luckily Jinyoung had still an ace up his sleeve to cheer his best friend up. He shared the first-hand information that Jackson's weird plan was working surprisingly fine, and therefore Jaebeom now can expect many very passionate kisses from him. And he was right, this was the exact kind of mood booster which dispelled the worry lines from his friend's face. Instead a silly smile made itself at home on his lips. One problem solved, Jinyoung thought.

But the main problem is still very big and very unsolved. All Friday long, during and after his spontaneous shift with Jaebeom, he tried to call Mark and also sent him a bunch of apology messages. He continued this on Saturday. But Mark didn't pick up the phone once and he obviously chose to ignore Jinyoung's messages. So it seems like his fears came true. Despite Jackson's explanation, Mark is still mad at him.

“Stupid chaos couple,” Jinyoung mutters under his breath. All he wanted was Mark. And now he has no Mark, but instead he has to deal with the consequences of his idiot friends' antics.

It's Sunday noon now and naturally Mark still didn't reply to one of his messages. Instead he got an unexpected call from his sister this morning. Lynn said that she's sorry to ask him to work all of the sudden, but she actually needs his help to sort some documents for the shop. She asked him to come to her house, or to be more specific, the Tuans' family home, to get the job done.

Jinyoung doesn't mind at all. He needs distraction anyway, and also he low-key hopes to catch a glimpse of Mark there. He also hopes Mark wouldn't beat his ass then.

When he arrives in front of the large house, his jaw drops. It looks so clean and modern, well built with large window panes and smooth white walls. An impressive terrace and a sensational garden belong to the property. It seems like the Tuans are well off. This comes as a surprise to Jinyoung, since neither Lynn nor Mark radiate this typical rich kid energy.

“Jinyoung, there you are! Excellent,” Lynn says after opening the front door. She immediately pulls him inside the house and drags him into the living room. The coffee table is covered with stacks of papers. “These are all bills. I need you to sort them by the date. It's not a difficult job. I admit it's annoying, but not difficult.”

“These are.... a lot.”

“Yeah, I know. Sorry. But you get help.”

“Help?”

“MARK TUAN, GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN HERE!”

Panic immediately wells up in Jinyoung. Yes, he wanted to see Mark but this is just a little too sudden and overwhelming. With wide eyes he turns to his boss. “Lynn, wait! He's mad at me. He won't be pleased to see me at all.”

“Yeah, I'm aware something's going on, even though I don't know the specifics,” she says casually.

“And what am I supposed to do now?”

“What you're supposed to do?! Use this chance well and talk to this sulky idiot. Just fix it somehow!”

“But-”

“Our parents are out for about three more hours. I will leave, too.”

“What?” Jinyoung shrieks. “You can't be seri-”

“Dammit, dragon lady! What do you want and why do you have to yell so obnoxiously loud?” Jinyoung hears Mark's irritated voice. He turns to witness how the other boy trudges down the stairs. “Can't you be normal for on-” And this is the moment when Mark spots Jinyoung standing in his living room.

They lock eyes for just a second, then Mark looks away. His face is set in an expression of stubborn reluctance. Jinyoung is about to implode. One reason is the mental overload which he's so abruptly exposed to in this situation. The other reason is Mark's outfit. Yes, it's summer, and yes, Jinyoung also wears a summer outfit, matching the warm weather, which consist of knee-length jeans shorts and a white t-shirt. But compared to Mark's outfit Jinyoung is dressed for winter. His black linen shorts don't even reach his mid-thighs. And the light blue tank top reveals his arms completely as well as a good part of his chest and shoulders. He tries not to stare so much. It's far from being ideal to pop a boner in this situation.

“What is he doing here?” Mark eventually mutters.

“Jinyoung was so kind and agreed to help me sorting the shop's bills. But even for you it must be obvious that it's too much work for one person,” Lynn explains while she motions to the table. “So you will help him.”

“No, I won't. You think you can decide for me how I spend my Sunday?”

“You act like you are busy but I know you just hide in your room to sulk all day. So do something useful for a change.”

“I... how... that's... that's not true!”

“Better get to work or I'll tell mom and dad that you sabotage my shop like some entertainment companies are sabotaging their own artists.”

All reluctance is wiped off his face. Mark now mainly looks scandalized. He obviously tries to search for words to weasel himself out of the situation, but eventually he seems to just accept his fate. “God, you're so dramatic,” he mumbles and slightly pouts at her. Jinyoung can barely keep himself from cooing at him. For a moment he forgot that they are in a sort of fight.

“Good! Jinyoung will tell you what to do. I have to leave now because of an appointment. See you later.” When she turns towards the door, she whispers a “Good luck, Jinyoung.” to him. One might get the idea that Lynn perhaps didn't summon him to primarily sort bills, but rather to fix his problem with Mark. Though he isn't completely sure about her intentions yet.

When the front door closes behind her, it leaves a thick silence between them. Jinyoung still aimlessly stands in the middle of the living room. Mark is still loitering on the stairs.

“Uhm... s-sorry... I didn't know that she... uhm... would force you to help me,” Jinyoung eventually stammers.

Mark pulls a face before he releases a sigh. “Yeah well, whatever. Let's get it over with fast.”

“Yeah sure!” After Mark left the steps, Jinyoung follows him to the coffee table. Unfortunately his gaze drops to lower regions and he ogles the bare back of Mark's thighs without restraint. It is inappropriate in a situation like this, Jinyoung is aware, but he still can't tear his eyes away. The camber of his thighs look just so perfect and delicious. The mental image of his tongue, sliding across the flawless, hot skin, is forming in his mind.

He's a bit relieved when the show ends by Mark taking a seat on the couch. After all it's still not a good time for boner popping. Jinyoung follows suit, being careful not to sit too close but also not too far away from him.

“Lynn said all we have to do is sorting the bills by date,” Jinyoung explains quickly. He tries to make eye contact with Mark, but the latter doesn't even so much as glance at him.

“Got it. I do this month, you do the previous.”

Without even looking at him, Mark grabs a stack of papers and starts to work through it. Jinyoung only replies a feeble “Okay” and also begins. Even though the task isn't difficult, it's still a challenge to stay focused. He keeps glancing over at Mark, trying to spot any sign of willingness to reconcile. But there is none. Mark just keeps scowling at the innocent papers.

A quiet sigh escapes his lips. Seems like his courage has deserted him now. He wants to talk with Mark so badly but his dismissive attitude has disheartened him. The silence in the room weighs heavy on Jinyoung. The rustling of the papers echoes in his ears like a constant reminder to speak his mind.

And eventually Jinyoung can't take it anymore. He can't sit next to Mark, pretending nothing is up, no matter how intimidating the other is right now. He knows in his heart Mark is the loveliest person ever. All he has to do is getting through to him.

“Uhm.... did you get my messages?”

No answer.

”Actually I know you got them, and I also know you've read them. The miracle of modern technology, huh?”

No response again.

“Okay look, I know Jackson has explained everything to you and I really do hope you believe him. Because neither him nor I have any reason to lie to you. He's head over heels for Jaebeom. And you should know by now that I'm desperately in love with you. _Only_ you.”

“Somebody who claims to be in love with me shouldn't go around kissing other people,” Mark mutters without looking up from the papers. Well, at least he finally said something, Jinyoung thinks.

“To my defense, I don't hit the clubs, tossing the bills in the air and scream 'free kisses for hot gays'.” Is he seeing this right? Was there the hint of a smile? Jinyoung isn't sure, but he should definitely go on. “The only one I want to kiss is _you_. And I really thought we were heading in the right direction-”

“Until you ruined it.”

“Yeeees,” Jinyoung hesitantly says. “Until I ruined it. I admit it wasn't the smartest move, but Jackson asked me for help and I.... I don't even know what to say anymore. He told you why we did it. You already know. There was no enjoyment in it. It was more like a practice, like practicing making scrambled eggs. You have to practice to be good at it but you don't necessarily have to develop deep feelings for it.”

Finally there is a reaction. Mark facepalms himself and slowly shakes his head. Could be better but also could be worse, Jinyoung quickly assesses.

“Scrambled eggs? _That's_ the point you want to make? Are you sure?”

“I just try to emphasize that kissing Jackson wasn't something I _wanted_ to do. And I won't ever do it again. Because you always were the only person I wanted to kiss and I'm sure it will stay that way. Mark.... please believe me.”

Mark leans back into the couch, finally looking at Jinyoung. And he's no longer scowling, instead he wears a rather disheartened expression. “You _know_ , I had a relationship with a cheater before. You _know that_ , Jinyoung. So seeing you like this brought back some nasty feelings. But this time it didn't only annoy me, like usually. This time it really hurt.”

“We're not even a couple yet,” Jinyoung says meekly.

“No, we aren't. That makes it even scarier, the way it hurt. And do you actually want to deny that there is something between us? Something.... that could be a strong foundation for a long term relationship?”

“No, I don't! I'm even glad that you see it as well. Because I absolutely feel the same,” Jinyoung raves.

“And here I was, thinking I finally could have a relationship that wouldn't suck, you know? But then I saw you with Jackson and... I don't know. It all came rushing back to me.”

“I'm not like them, Mark. I swear. I'm not out to fuck you up. I care about you. A lot. Much more than I can put into words.” Jinyoung is desperate by now. He doesn't know how to declare his loyalty to Mark anymore. He just needs to believe him. “I'm.... I'm one of the good ones. I'm not one of the assholes you usually attract, and you know it. _You_ _know_ _me_ , Mark,” Jinyoung says, the note of urgency audible in his voice.

Mark's lips are pressed together in a thin line while he studies Jinyoung's pleading face.

And after seconds, which stretched to an eternity, there's the salvation. Mark finally cracks a smile. A smile which brightens up the entire room, even without any sparkles and bursts of glitter.

“Why in the world did you even agree to Jackson's madness?”

A sigh of relief passes Jinyoung's lips before he answers. “I actually have opposed the idea until the very end, but then he said he would ask you instead. And that was it. My head screamed 'Oh no what if they fall in love?' and then my brain just shut down and I said yes.”

“In love? With _each other_?” Jinyoung nods his head shyly. “Bleh! We're best friends!”

“But now he's liking guys-”

“But he certainly doesn't like _me._ ”

“But what if you would have started to like _him_ after the kiss? What then?” Jinyoung explains animatedly, on the edge of despair.

“I repeat: Bleh! A simple kiss can't be _this_ powerful. Or are _you_ now in love with him all of the sudden?”

“Nope, just practicing making scrambled eggs, remember?”

“Sure, how can I forget _this_ unbeatable argument?” Mark snorts.

“So yeah, that was my reasoning. And now I'm sitting here, being still so in love with you, not knowing what to do.”

“You know, it's not so easy to believe it. I have all these assholes exes who didn't give a shit about me. And you have all these people in your life who are still doting on you no matter when or how you crossed paths with them. And the relationship with Jaehyun and also whatever it was that was going on with Mark-”

“Mark?”

“Yeah, the other Mark. Your high school Mark?”

Oops, Jinyoung forgot that there is supposed to be another Mark in his life. “Oh... yeah... w-what about him?”

“Well, it seems to me that there are many deep feelings and emotions connected to every person you had in your life so far, so it's quite hard to believe that you now want to give all your attention to me. I just don't understand why.”

“You don't understand why?” Jinyoung asks dumbfounded, only blinking at Mark.

“No. Why me?”

“Because I'm in love with you. You're this fantastic person, the best I was ever allowed to meet. Other people were too dumb to see this, but I know your worth. I can _see you_ , Mark, and everything that is special about you. And I want to make you happy. You deserve happiness. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.”

Mark runs his fingers through his already messy hair, seemingly trying to process Jinyoung's words.

“But my exes-”

“Were brainless scum. You were too good for every single one of these fuckers.”

“But you and the other Mark-”

“I only care about _you_. You, who is sitting here in front of me. I don't care about anyone else. It's all in the past. But I'm interested in having a happy future. With you.” Jinyoung looks at Mark with the most conviction, and it seems to reach the other. At least Mark slowly nods his head, accepting Jinyoung's words. And Jinyoung means everything he said. He's genuine. So what if Mark won't remember his fairy experiences? Human Mark is a blessing and Jinyoung is truly in love with him, with or without glitter. “Good,” he sighs. “And please don't ever mention Jaehyun in this context ever again. I mean yeah, a lot of feelings were involved. That's true. But he was a special case. Initially I just wanted to be his friend and help him out of his misery. I never thought the outcome would be such a mess,” he states with a wry smile.

At that a soft smile appears on Mark's face. “This is a wild guess but.... do you maybe study social works?”

Jinyoung's jaw drops as he stares at him. “How do you know? Did Jaebeom tell you?”

“No, I just knew it. Of course, you would. There's no other way. You've always been like this.”

“ _Always?_ ” Jinyoung blurts out.

“Yeah, I mean you always try to help, it's so obvious. It doesn't even matter who it is that needs help. At first I kinda misjudged you. I thought you had ulterior motives. But then.... I saw the real you. Every guest, no matter if it's your teenage fan club or a stressed mom, an indecisive retiree or a brazen kid, you never lose your patience. You always want to help. No matter if my best friend asks you for an outrageous favor or my dragon sister asks you to sort hundreds of papers on a Sunday, you just do it. And even Jaehyun..... the thing you yelled after him when I kicked him out. What was that about?”

It's difficult for Jinyoung to speak at the moment, but he swallows the lump in his throat to explain. “One of his friends had a crush on him in school. He was also a bully, though Jaehyun didn't know about the crush. Neither of them knew that the other was interested in guys. Back then, they weren't ready to come out. So I thought now would be a good time to... I don't know, talk to each other and see if it's the right time now.”

“You're amazing. You even try to help people who treated you terribly.”

“I.... no, I'm nothing special.”

“You're outstandingly special. But you don't understand that, just like I don't understand why you want to be with _me_ of all people. I really don't know who's the bigger idiot,” he snickers.

“So wait, just to break it down here, all of this does mean you like me. Did I get this right?” Mark doesn't give him an answer, instead his already beautiful smile only broadens. “I take it as a yes. If I'm wrong just give me a sign by changing your skin color to pink. Okay.... I see, no objections. This is... _crazy_. I need to process this. No wait, actually I don't, because this is what I wished for from day one. So just let me know one thing clearly: can I kiss you?”

“Hmmm, I don't know. Maybe?” His smile is cheeky. He acts so over-the-top coy that Jinyoung has slight difficulties to hold himself back from pouncing on him.

“Maybe, huh? That wasn't as clear as I've hoped, but I know something that can convince you.”

Jinyoung scoots closer to him so he can comfortably put his hand on Mark's arm. Slowly he runs his fingers across the warm skin until he reaches Mark's wrist. With gentle stroking movements and light pressure he massages the soft skin on the inside.

“Oh, you do that little trick again,” the other purrs.

“Yes, but that's not all.”

“No?”

“I came to step up my game here.” So Jinyoung gingerly grabs Mark's forearm with both his hands and lifts it to his mouth. Gently he presses his lips to his wrist. It almost drives him crazy when he feels a slight tremble against them. His mouth curls into a smile. He's doing well, he knows it. So Jinyoung starts to bless his wrist with butterfly kisses and tiny kitten licks.

“Oh fuck!” It's a moan, so deep and sensual that now Jinyoung is again on the verge of popping a boner. But now he doesn't care anymore. He only cares about Mark's reactions, about the way his head lulls back when he closes his eyes in pleasure. “Maybe you're not so nice after all, since you're taking advantage of my weak point.”

“Hold on, pretty boy,” Jinyoung murmurs, his lips brushing against the wet skin of his wrist with each syllable. “You're taking advantage of my weak point as well, sitting here half naked.”

Mark snorts a laugh before he looks at Jinyoung with half-lidded eyes. “I don't wear this to put weird ideas into your head. It's just warm.”

“And still, I have all these weird ideas in my head when I see you.” Jinyoung attaches his lips again to his wrist, feeling his pulse quicken beneath them. The little noises of pleasure, which crawl through Mark's throat, tell him that he is doing a great job. “So unfair. You know how much I adore you. And now you sit here, so damn close to me, with your beautiful arms exposed and your collarbones out and your damn delicious-looking thighs revealed.” Jinyoung looks up at Mark through his dark lashes. “And you really expect me to stay sane? You expect me to _behave_?”

Mark runs his tongue against his bottom lip. His eyes are set on Jinyoung, so the latter licks a fat, wet stripe across his wrist without breaking eye contact with him.

A shuddering breath leaves Mark's mouth before he speaks, his voice low and strained. “Then don't behave.” And before Jinyoung can react, Mark shakes his hands off to pull him into his lap.

Oh how, Jinyoung likes his new favorite seat on these naked thighs, with their crotches so close. It takes all of his self-control to not crash their lips together right away, but he wants to savor this moment. He wants to engrave it in his memory to remember it until the end of time. The way Mark's eyes twinkle, the way his mouth is slightly open, looking so inviting and wet, the way his ears are getting red, Jinyoung will store everything away in his mind.

Slowly he leans in, looking into those pretty doe eyes. His gaze flickers to his lips and back to his eyes and something flutters in his chest, heat creeping up his neck. The intoxicating scent of flowers and cotton already put a spell on him.

“Jinyoung,” Mark whispers, his hot breath fanning across his mouth. “Kiss me.”

And now he can't hold himself back for anything in this world. His heart rebels in his chest when he finally kisses those pink lips for the first time after years. They still feel silky and gorgeous against him. It's soft and slow but it fills Jinyoung's entire being with bliss and a feeling of completeness. Finally he feels whole again. Finally he's fixed.

One of his hands paws at Mark's chest, feeling the hot skin beneath his fingers. The other one comes up to gently touch the side of Mark's neck while his thumb tenderly strokes his cheek. Gladly Mark isn't shy when it comes to kissing. It feels like he wants this just as much as Jinyoung, which only fuels his excitement.

Jinyoung presses a series of kisses to his bottom lip before he switches and starts to suck on the top lip. But Mark becomes impatient soon. He's done with the teasing. So he takes what is his anyway and captures Jinyoung's mouth in a demanding kiss. Their lips slide together, again and again, until Mark's sharp teeth softly nibble at Jinyoung's bottom lip. There's nothing he would rather do than parting his lips for Mark's tongue. It feels so sexy to have him so close, to have him inside him. All the intimacy rushes back to Jinyoung as if the past years didn't torment him.

He vividly remembers all the things Mark prefers and is happy to perform them with his tongue. Mark frantically moans into his mouth, so sinful that Jinyoung can't help himself. He has no control over his hips. They just roll into Mark, who is trapped under him. He gasps into Jinyoung when their crotches meet. The friction is a blessing for both of them. Mark blindly grabs at Jinyoung's back, at his ass, his hips, trying to bring him closer, trying to pull him deeper into his lap, with more force.

Mark rolls his hips up, pushing into Jinyoung. And now there's no question anymore, Jinyoung's hard-on is real. But it's in good company because damn, Mark is rock hard under him. For a split second he glances down. His stomach makes a flip at the sight. Half-crazy with arousal, they keep moaning into each other's mouths while kissing sloppily. One of Mark's hands slips under Jinyoung's shirt, curiously exploring the bare skin of his back. A shudder crashes through Jinyoung's body when the other grinds up particularly hard. Mark groans so deep and hot against his mouth. “Mhhh baby, everything about you feels so good.”

Those words, Jinyoung remembers them. Mark moaned these exact words when they had their first time together. His dick twitches violently. He knows he's only seconds away from coming in his pants like a fucking spring tide.

He pulls away, only a few centimeters, staying close enough to still feel Mark's labored breaths against his face.

“I'm sorry, but you're just too hot,” he timidly mumbles.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Mark rasps, looking at Jinyoung with enticing bedroom eyes again.

“That means I'm about to come in my pants just from making out.”

“Would that be so bad?” Mark is flashing him a lopsided grin.

“I don't want to imagine this walk of shame all the way home. Also I want to come the first time when you're inside me.”

“Oh fuck! Now you almost made _me_ come. Control your sexy mouth a little, oki?”

“I don't promise anything,” Jinyoung snickers.

“I see that.” Mark rests his palms on Jinyoung's hips. “I never felt this before, we were kissing and it felt completely right. There wasn't even this awkward game of trial and error. It was just... _right_.”

“I know, it's because we're meant for each other. That's an ancient love for you,” Jinyoung singsongs cheekily before he presses a kiss to Mark's chin.

“Ancient love,” Mark repeats, mumbling.

In the meantime Jinyoung traces his lips along Mark's jaw until he reaches his ear. He can remember very well that he likes a little extra attention there. So Jinyoung takes his earlobe into his mouth and starts to nibble and suck. Then he traps the little silver hoop earring between his teeth and gently tugs at it. The reaction follows immediately in the form of Mark grinding up into him again.

“Baby!” Such a needy groan. It travels straight to Jinyoung's hard-on. He wonders how long it will take for his pants to burst. They are both so hard. And the fact that Jinyoung knows how big Mark is down there, doesn't help in the least to calm down. “You wanted to tone it done, right? This isn't toning down. This is provoking.”

“Mhhhh, sorry,” Jinyoung hums into his neck after letting go of the little hoop. “I know you like it.”

“How?”

“I just know. I have humans all figured out, remember?” Jinyoung purrs cheekily as he pulls away to look at Mark. But to his surprise, the expression on Mark's face isn't all that playful anymore. Instead he looks focused, almost pensive.

“Jinyoung?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“This might sound weird, but.... have we met somewhere before this summer?”

“W-What?” Jinyoung just stares at him, with round eyes and his mouth agape, waiting for more information.

“I have... this strange feeling that I know you for much longer than I actually do. And you know things about me which you aren't supposed to know. So why is that?”

“I wonder,” Jinyoung chirps, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

“Jinyoung, come on.”

“Maybe I'm your stalker.”

“Unlikely, since I don't share things like my erogenous zones on social media or anywhere else.”

Jinyoung just shrugs, still smiling as he starts to play with the fabric of Mark's tank top.

“Oki, then I will guess. Did we meet at some wild freshmen party where I was so hammered that I forgot everything about you?”

“That would mean I got to know you pretty well during that party experience, huh? Key word: erogenous zones.”

“Can you answer yes or no? That would actually help.”

“Who knows?”

“I take that as a no, since you lost your ability to answer closed questions. Do we know each other from another life?”

This comes out of the blue. He never expected that Mark would come up with such a theory after his first 'harmless' guess. Jinyoung needs a moment to compose himself before he answers sheepishly, “That's actually not such a bad approach. It's not quite right, but also not wrong.”

“This is a very vague answer and it doesn't help me at all.”

“Weird humans, right?”

“Stop teasing me!” Mark whines.

“Should I continue teasing your erogenous zones instead?”

“Oh you mischievous little brat, you wanted to stop so now don't try to change the subject,” Mark scolds, feigning being offended. Jinyoung just responds with an even cheekier smile and one of his, by now famous, clumsy winks. “Next question: are you a time traveler?”

“Not at all,” Jinyoung snickers. “You really go into this sci-fi genre now?”

“Yes, and I don't have any qualms about it. Since day one I felt that there's something special about you.” This is an interesting information. He never told Jinyoung about it before. So their reunion didn't leave Mark indifferent after all. “And since you're in love with me now, I feel brave enough to ask these questions without you thinking I'm weird.”

“After you thought I'm weird for the longest time.”

“Exactly. So are you.... are you a magical creature? Are you an angel or something?”

“What, meeeee?” Jinyoung squeaks. “What....” He's bursting into a fit of giggles. He can't stop it. “I am.... I'm supposed to be the.... oh my god, this is too hilarious!”

“What's so funny? Are you laughing because I exposed you?”

“Oh no, not that. No way. But believe me, I'm not magical.”

“Are you sure? You seem a bit magical to me,” Mark admits meekly, before forming a slight pout with his lips.

“That's very sweet of you. But I don't possess magical powers. I only have my great appreciation for you which motivates me every day.”

“It's weird when you say things like that.”

“You're flustered,” Jinyoung giggles.

“A little bit maybe. But let's go back to the past-life-theory, which wasn't all wrong. What is that about?”

“You know what confuses me? That you actually believe me when I confirm something ludicrous like this, instead of just calling me weird again.”

“You said it yourself earlier. By now _I know you_ , Jinyoung. And when you mentioned this ancient love, it felt like you would read my mind.”

“That's beautiful,” Jinyoung marvels with a soft smile. “But that's also something I can't do. I'm just Dumbo, remember? I only have big ears.”

“No, to me you're much more.”

“I'm your ancient love, not more and not less. And I'm very happy about it.”

“Fine, keep being magical and mysterious without telling me the details. As long as you're mine, it's oki. I don't care about anything else.”

His eyes twinkle with all the adoration and affection Jinyoung saw already years ago in them. And in return, he smiles down at Mark, his chest almost bursting with joy and warmth, with the feeling of safety and completeness, and the knowledge that he's being loved. He captures Mark's lips in a long, slow kiss. He wants to give back all the things Mark makes him feel.

They make out on the couch until they hear Lynn's car pulling up outside. Guiltily they admit that they barely got some work done. To Mark's surprise she reacts pretty calm, assuring them that it's not that important anyway. Jinyoung on the other hand, sees his initial theory confirmed. How glad he is that the love of his life has such an attentive sister by their side.

(*≧ω≦*)

Their shift on the following Monday feels like walking on clouds. They are openly flirting, only taking small breaks when a guest requires their attention. They steal glances, touches, even kisses when nobody pays them any attention. This flirty Mark is truly mind-blowing. Jinyoung now completely feels like he's back at being a teenager. If his so called fan club would drop by, he could join them and wouldn't stand out, the way he's such a giggly mess today.

Seen from the outside, they were probably obnoxious the entire day. But Jinyoung doesn't care. He had a blast today and he looks forward to every minute he can spend with Mark, his boyfriend.

Now their shift is about to end. Mark is wiping down the counter, while Jinyoung cleans all the tables. Though every time he has finished one of them, he saunters back and leans over the counter, demanding a little reward kiss, which his boyfriend is more than happy to give.

When Jinyoung works on his last table, Lynn pokes her head in. “Hey Mark, when you hurry up, I'll take you home with me.”

“Don't rush me! I want to leave everything nice and clean. It's _your_ shop, not _mine_. _You_ should care about how clean it is.”

She rolls her eyes thoroughly at that. “You're only doing what you're hired for, and still you act like you're some sort of cleaning fairy all of the sudden. Update for you: you're not.”

“What are you talking about? Just look, everything is so clean that it gleams and sparkles here. I'm obviously a cleaning fairy. I'm even _very fairy_.”

“Very fairy _where?_ In your dreams maybe. Anyway, just hurry. You have five minutes.” With these words she marches back to her office.

But it doesn't seem like Mark even paid attention to her last words, Jinyoung notices. The boy stands behind the counter absolutely motionless. All the color drained suddenly from his face. Jinyoung keeps observing him with concern. It feels like he can hear Mark's thoughts roaring in his head. Just what is up with him? Jinyoung never saw him this way before.

He slowly straightens himself up, taking two cautious steps towards the counter. “Mark, are you okay?” he asks quietly.

The boy in question looks up. Their eyes meet. The intensity almost makes Jinyoung flinch. A flood of emotions swirls in Mark's eyes. And even though there's something startling in his gaze, there's also something familiar, something which Jinyoung wasn't aware he was missing until now.

He swallows thickly when a brave assumption forms in his mind. Will he risk it? Yes, he always will. Jinyoung takes another step towards him, maintaining eye contact the entire time. His heart hammers in his chest, screaming at him, trashing around, pulling him towards the other boy.

The words are spoken softly. “Mark Fairybutton, is this you?”

Without averting his eyes, Mark slowly nods his head. “Baby......,” he whispers, his voice shaky. “I'm sorry that it took me so long. I'm so, _so_ sorry.”


	18. 2.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my friend Sonia here. Without your ongoing support and your lovely reviews on every chapter I wouldn't have made it this far. *:♥♡･ﾟ✧♥
> 
> So last chapter, here we gooooooo! :D

Jinyoung's heart and mind are racing. He can't believe it, but on the other hand he thought endlessly about this moment before. “Mark, you're really back?” His voice cracked, but he doesn't care. He takes another step towards the counter, and when the boy on the other side nods his head once again, he just whispers, “Oh my god!”

“I think.... I need to s-sit down,” Mark stammers, before he goes down behind the counter.

“Mark!” At the speed of light Jinyoung rushes around the counter, finding Mark sitting on the ground with his legs outstretched. With his back braced against the counter he presses his palms to his forehead.

Jinyoung kneels down beside him, putting his hands on his chest because he just somehow wants to hold onto him. Mark's whole body is trembling under his palms. “Are you alright? Are you in pain? Are you hurt anywhere?” There is clearly the sound of panic in his voice when his words emerge like a jumbled mess. He's just too concerned. The last time he saw him in such a state was when the universe forcefully called Mark back to the fairy world. And he can't let this happen again. He can't lose Mark another time.

“Yeah, don't worry. It's just.... a lot to process. It all comes rushing back now and I'm a little overwhelmed. I try to somehow sort this out but.... for the past 21 years I thought I was nothing but a normal human and now...” Mark drops his hands and looks up at Jinyoung. “Now I learn that I was a magical creature once. How wild is that?”

A sigh of relief passes Jinyoung's lips. It seems like Mark isn't injured and the universe also isn't calling him back. Still, he developed trust issues towards the universe so he keeps his hands on Mark.

“Very wild, probably,” Jinyoung chuckles. “You... you really remember everything now?”

A soft smile grows on Mark's full lips. Without taking his eyes off his face, Mark searches blindly for Jinyoung's hands on his torso. It's overwhelming, the softness and warmth which spread through Jinyoung as soon as Mark's long fingers encircle them. “Yes, my pretty baby, I remember _everything_.”

Jinyoung inhales deeply, his breath shuddering and skipping like his throat is too tight to draw it in all at once. His head drops to his chest. He tries to prevent it, but the sob just escapes his mouth without receiving permission. “I can't believe it. I waited for so long. I'm so, so happy,” he snivels.

“I'm sorry,” Mark whispers and gently squeezes Jinyoung's hands.

“Don't apologize. I don't want you to say sorry. I just want you to know.... I want you to know I never stopped believing that you would be part of my life again one day. _Never!_ ”

“My baby....” His voice sounds soft like melted marshmallows. Mark gets up on his knees and pulls Jinyoung into his body, hugging him tightly. “You did such a good job, Jinyoung. My Jinyoung, you've found me. Your confidence pulled me back here. You didn't give up. You've trusted me to come back to you, just like you promised.”

“Of course, there was no way I could forget about you,” he sobs into Mark's neck. “And you.... you came back, just like you promised.”

Mark slowly bends him backwards, gently laying him on the floor. Jinyoung just lets it happen. And when he looks up and Mark hovers over him, it feels as if his heart would burst with sheer joy and elation at any moment now. “I'll never leave your side again. _Never again_.” Jinyoung hears it in his voice, sees it in his twinkling eyes and in the soft smile on his lips, the level of honesty in this promise.

The whispered response is a tiny “Okay”. He can't think of anything more creative to say, not when he's captivated by Mark's affectionate gaze. And when the boy above him starts to lean down, Jinyoung's entire body starts to tingle with anticipation. The silkiness against his lips feels exactly like the last time when he kissed human Mark. It feels exactly the same, but it still feels different. This feeling is hard to grasp, but the most important thing is that it still feels like the most amazing experience ever. It's a slow and curious kiss for the first three seconds only, after that they plunge straight into steamy desire. Jinyoung shudders at the slide of Mark's tongue against his. But he still wants more. He wants it all.

A very excited heart pounds in his chest when his fingers fly into Mark's hair. His other arm wraps around the boy's waist to pull him down on top of him. He needs him to be closer, so much closer.

“I love you,” Mark gasps into his mouth.

“I love you, too,” Jinyoung whispers when the other gives him the chance.

And then there's no space for words anymore. Mark's hot tongue delves deeper to make him speechless and breathless in the best way. There are so many sensations which Jinyoung somehow tries to comprehend all at once. He's almost dizzy with bliss and only tries to keep his senses together somehow.

“Mark, have you fin- Oh okay!”

The kiss ends when Mark abruptly looks up. Jinyoung follows suit. Sure, he only sees her upside down, but the flabbergasted expression on Lynn's face is still pretty telling. She stands in the doorframe, not moving, just staring at them.

“Lynn, I won't go home with you,” Mark casually states, before he leans down to quickly peck Jinyoung's lips again. The latter is just lying there, a little too overwhelmed to contribute to the situation.

“I kinda see that,” she answers hesitantly.

“I probably won't come home at all tonight.”

She nods, also hesitantly. “Okay, I'm gonna tell mom and dad-”

“I don't care,” Mark snickers before he presses a quick kiss to Jinyoung's cheek.

“I will tell them you stay over at a friend's house tonight. Doesn't seem like such a big lie, since you're _very friendly_ with each other right now.”

“Good idea. Smart sister.” Mark kisses Jinyoung's lips again.

“Alright, then..... have fun, I guess. But don't have fun in my shop! Have I made myself clear enough?”

But Mark is currently quite busy with sucking his tongue, and Jinyoung tries very hard but in the end doesn't have a chance to muffle the loud moan which raced up his throat.

“Good gracious!” Lynn exclaims. “I never wanted to witness this but here I am.”

“How about leaving then?” Mark suggests between kisses, without even looking up at her.

There's no reply, so somewhere in the corner of his awareness, Jinyoung just assumes that she followed her brother's suggestion. But only moments later, Mark shrieks above him and Jinyoung feels wetness dripping onto his face. His boyfriend sits back on his heels, and Jinyoung now spots the dark patches on his clothes as well as his wet hair. Lynn crouches down beside them, an empty drinking glass in her hand and a wicked smile on her lips. Now Jinyoung pieces together that she has ruthlessly attacked them.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for you. But I needed to put an end to it. So listen to me, you horny boys, no sex in my shop. Go somewhere else. Have fun. I don't care. Just do it somewhere else.”

She straightens herself up and walks back towards her office.

“You're the meanest dragon!” Mark calls after her.

“Yup yup. Congrats on having a not shitty boyfriend, loser,” she purrs over her shoulder before she leaves.

Jinyoung now sits up as well. He takes his apron off and tries to rub Mark's t-shirt dry.

“Maybe your sister is right. Maybe we have more important things to do than having sex at our workplace.”

“Yeah? And what would that be?”

“Go on a date with me, Mark,” he suggests with a beaming smile.

“A date? Now?”

“Yeah, I need to be with you.... _alone_ with you somewhere. We need to talk. There's so much to speak about. I have so many questions. Let's go to the park. It's still warm outside.”

Mark smiles back at him, so prettily, Jinyoung almost drops back to the floor. “Oki.”

Quickly, they get their stuff and lock the shop up. When they walk down the street, their fingers are interlaced. It feels even more perfect than the last time.

“Hey, can you wait here for a moment?” Jinyoung asks, already on the way to rush into a small supermarket.

“Uhm... sure?”

When he returns only minutes later, Mark's eyes grow wide. “What's all this?” he asks when he peeks into the paper bag in Jinyoung's hand.

“Drinks and snacks.”

“It's all sweet stuff? You _do_ know that I consume other stuff as well, right?”

“Not really, because fairy Mark didn't.”

“Well unlike fairy Mark, human Mark can die from a heart attack or diabetes, so he has to pay attention to his nutrition at least a little bit.”

Yes, that's something Jinyoung didn't think about, but it makes sense. “Wait a second, I'll buy you a salad,” he blurts out when he thrusts the paper bag into Mark's hands.

He's already on the way to the supermarket when Mark pulls him back. “Wait wait wait wait, don't go! This is fine.”

“I don't want you to die from... whatever unhealthy food is doing to a human body. From now on I will shove salad and fruits down your throat every day.”

“Sounds lovely. But not today. Come here.” Mark pulls him close and eventually wraps his arm around Jinyoung's hip as they slowly saunter down the sidewalk.

The small park isn't located far from the shop. The two seat themselves on a bench at the foot of the chestnut tree. It's not fully dark yet, but the street lamps are already switched on and provide additional light. Not many people are around. Occasionally joggers and dog owners are passing by, but they are mainly undisturbed.

Jinyoung unpacks some of the snacks and passes them to Mark, who starts to munch on them despite his earlier objection. On their way here, they stayed fairly quiet. It's like they searched for words in this overwhelming situation, but they never really found them. Instead they held tightly onto each other, reveling in each other's physical presence.

But eventually Mark starts to utter his thoughts.

“I can't believe I've forgotten about you. I didn't think it was possible, but it really happened. And you were so amazing, Jinyoung. From the very first moment, you tried so hard to win me over. And I was such a jerk.... and a slowpoke.”

“But you couldn't remember. I don't blame you. By now, I guess it's fate that you think of me as a weirdo every time we meet the first time,” Jinyoung jokes to cheer Mark up. And it seems to work, if the grin on his face is anything to go by.

“I hope this was our last first meeting though. Don't get me wrong, getting to know you is great every time anew, but just enjoying our life together seems even more appealing.”

Jinyoung now mirrors Mark's smile and meets his eyes. He feels so connected to him. A tiny gasp escapes his lips before he can answer. “Sounds like an incredibly good plan to me.”

“Seems like I still have some magic powers, since I came up with this great plan within seconds,” Mark says with feigned smugness.

“Hmmm,” Jinyoung hums and smiles even wider at his cute behavior. But now he can't quell his curiosity for much longer. “Mark..... what happened back then, after Jaebeom made his wish?”

“Things have turned out more complicated than we expected,” he sighs as he tilts his head back, looking up into the darkening sky.

“For years we doubted Jackson's fairy abilities.”

Mark starts to snicker and looks back at Jinyoung. “No, he did everything he could. It was just a pretty big wish, and also a quite unusual one. As expected, the powers we unleashed with it almost ripped us to pieces. But we endured everything and eventually made it through it. And when we already thought we've succeeded, we were proven wrong. Instead of the wish being granted right away, it was presented to the fairy council for approval. It happens sometimes when the wishes are special and impactful, and this one definitely belongs to this category.”

“Who was part of this council?”

“Elders, some fairies with special achievements or powers, but mostly hags. Though surprisingly a lot of them weren't opposed to the idea. The problem was the leader of the council. He ruined everything for us.”

“What? But why would he do that?”

“Because he's a fucking narcissist whose purpose in life is to make others feel miserable so he can shine brighter. I'll never forget his name: Sasian-oul Apefairy,” Mark grumbles bitterly. His hands ball into fists in his lap.

“A Graced One?” Jinyoung asks cautiously.

“Yeah.”

“So he's ugly?”

“Oh wow, yes! The ugliest one of them all,” he snorts. “I've never met him personally before that day, but it was rumored that he feared and hated me.”

“What? When he didn't even know you?”

“It was an open secret which everyone was aware of, the fact that with every passing year I would become more powerful. I was bound to surpass him soon.”

“Woah, you really were a fairy superstar, weren't you?”

“The most mistreated superstar ever.” The sad smile on his face reminds Jinyoung of all the terrible things Mark had to endure in his fairy life.

“Yeah.... sorry...”

“Nothing _you_ have to be sorry about, baby.” Their eyes meet again and immediately the warmth rushes back into his gaze.

“So he hated you because he felt threatened by you?”

“Yeah, sheer anxiousness and envy fueled his actions. But it wasn't only my power he was envious of. As you already realized correctly, he's a Graced One and therefore it's normal to not have a beautiful appearance. But despite being very powerful, he still begrudged the normal fairies their looks. And then there was me, developing great powers and not looking like a Graced One at all. His childish, limited mind couldn't accept the situation as it was.”

“But that means it was even convenient for him that you wanted to leave, right?”

“Yep, it played right into his hands. He could get rid of me without even getting his hands dirty. But that wasn't enough. What pissed him off was that I was taking Jackson with me. Jackson always was an inspiring example to every normal fairy, and Sasian-oul hated to lose such a precious member of fairy society. He blamed me for it, of course. That's why he made a fuss in front of the council. He said this kind of wish was an audacity. He even called it treason and betrayal of the fairy people. He convinced some of the other members that we at least should be punished in some way for such misbehavior.”

“How fucking unfair! It was _our_ wish after all. You just had to fulfill what we wanted.”

“I know,” Mark sighs. “Well actually it was also our wish, but in the end it always only counts what the human wants. Also I've told you many times before, right? That most fairies aren't your typical nice fellas. They are... complicated and judgmental and also kind of shallow.” Jinyoung nods his head. He remembers all the examples Mark has given him in the past. It's still difficult for him to accept that the same species Mark and Jackson belong to, stands out due to their deviousness. “So this fucker tried to give us a hard time. He convinced the council that it's fair to attach conditions to Jaebeom's wish. And we really didn't have a choice but to accept whatever they were proposing. Otherwise they would have simply rejected the wish. We would have had to carry on with fulfilling our fairy duties then. And every chance to see you ever again would have been off the table. So we bit the bullet. They said we are allowed to become humans, but they would put us in a parallel world where time runs faster. And as if this wouldn't have been enough, they also added the memory erasure as another punishment. Apparently it's fairly difficult to meet each other when you're living in parallel worlds. Several requirements need to be met. They told us chances were slim that we would run across you and Jaebeom. But we still wanted to do it. Better risk it all for a chance to be happy than living with regrets forever. We would have done anything to come back to you. And it seems like the universe had a very good day when you detected us in this household store a few weeks ago. From that moment on, we became part of your world and time slowed down.”

“You're kidding me,” Jinyoung marvels.

“Nope. All kinds of things exist out there, Jinyoung. Things and worlds which you can't imagine. Let's just be thankful that the universe had mercy on us in the end.”

“I really am,” Jinyoung murmurs.

Mark puts down the bag of gummy bears and instead reaches for Jinyoung's hand. He keeps holding it as he continues to explain. “They said if it's real love, we will find each other. And if we manage to fall in love with each other again, Jackson and I would regain our memories as a reward.”

“Guess it's real love then,” Jinyoung mumbles, a sheepish smile on his lips. “We did a good job, huh?”

“We really did.” Mark gives his hand a soft squeeze. “And I never had doubts about it being real love. They have themselves to blame for taking us lightly.”

“To be honest, after you held the rose in your hands and you still couldn't remember, I was on the verge of desperation. I pretty much gave up on the idea that you ever would remember your past.”

Mark blinks at him as he tilts his head to the side. “What rose?”

Jinyoung's eyebrows draw together at the obvious lack of understanding. “The blue one, the one you retrieved from Jaehyun the other day in the shop? It was part of your fairy wreath, wasn't it?”

“Oh... now that you mention it, yeah, it was. Where did you get this?”

“Where did I..... you _don't know_?” Mark slowly shakes his head no. “After Jaebeom made his wish and you and Jackson dissolved into thin air, you both left a flower head behind. Are you telling me that you didn't do it on purpose?”

“Sorry, but we had other things on our minds in this situation.”

“Sure, yeah.... but who was it? That's the only keepsake I had left of you, and I clung onto it for the past few years like my life depended on it. I feel like a fool now.”

“Oh.... a keepsake. I guess that was a sign from the universe, a motivation for you to hang on and to keep believing.”

“You think so?” Mark nods his head again, offering a soft smile. “Then I'm very thankful because it really did help me. At least I knew that way that you weren't just a fever dream.” With his free hand, Jinyoung reaches in his back pocket. But there isn't anything to find. “It's gone!” he exclaims.

“What?”

“Your rose! It's not there anymore.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes! I took it with me everywhere, every day since the day you left. And now... it's gone.”

“Because you don't need it anymore.” Mark lifts Jinyoung's hand to his lips and presses a soft kiss to his knuckles. He meets his eyes, looking at him from under his lashes. “You'll never need it again to remember our past. I can help you with that now.”

Once again Jinyoung feels like melting into a puddle on the spot. But for a change he can speak about it. “You make my heart race, Mark. Still, you make my heart race with everything you do and everything you say.”

“Guess that never had anything to do with magic powers. How fortunate,” he sighs very pleased.

“No, the unadulterated you is doing this to me.” They are smiling at each other like the biggest fools, but Jinyoung thinks they earned it. They suffered enough. Now it's time for the reward. Mark still holds his hand. It doesn't seem like he wants to let go of it ever again. It's all right with Jinyoung. “The day when I met you again was one of the happiest days in my entire life. It felt like I finally could breathe again.”

“So you wanted to be with me, even though I lost all my memories of our past?”

“Of course! You're still you, no matter if fairy or human. As long as it's you, I don't care which conditions are attached.”

Mark's smile suddenly fades. Jinyoung wonders if he said something wrong, but gladly his boyfriend shares his thoughts with him.

“Honestly, the worst part is that they didn't even give you a clear message about what was going on. They left you and Jaebeom completely in the dark for years. I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you. This is just shady. Aaargh, these shady fairies! Fucking hate their haughty asses! I'm so angry!”

“I admit, it wasn't easy. Especially, since we didn't even know if you made it at all. But Jaebeom and I became a lot closer during that time. We always assured each other that we would get our fairy boys back sooner or later. This saved me a little bit. We both lost our loves. We were the only ones who knew about it. And I don't know if you realize it, but without you calling him out for being a bad friend, nothing of this would have happened. He wouldn't have started to stick up for me back then. He wouldn't have earned himself this wish. And that means he never could have wished for you and Jackson to become humans. And that means there would have been no possibility at all for us to meet each other again. _You_ made this happen, Mark.”

“If you put it this way, it really sounds like fate. Well, the ways of the universe are strange and unpredictable. But it all started with you being such a good human that you earned yourself this wish. You were the real starting point, the MVP. And well, your wish was granted..... aaaah, the kids! I miss them. How were they doing after the competition?”

It's a bit cute how Mark asks for the kids, but the woeful expression on his face worries Jinyoung. “You didn't show up anymore after our glorious win. They were in shock when you were gone so suddenly. It was difficult for them to cope. But I belatedly realized that it was my fault. I was responsible for bringing you into their lives. I should have known that a certain level of bonding would occur and that these bonds would be broken eventually.”

“Jinyoung, you used _your own wish_ to make _their_ daily lives better. Please don't blame yourself. You had the best intentions.”

“I know. I just wish there would have been a possibility to do that without them losing a friend in the end. They missed you like crazy after you were gone.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Jaebeom made up some ludicrous story about your dad working for the government and your family suddenly had to move because of a special mission or something. The kids were still sad but also pretty impressed,” Jinyoung chuckles.

“Well, my human dad now really works for the government. So maybe it's not a complete lie?”

“Honestly? What does he do?”

“He's the head of traffic authority.”

“Ooooh.... traffic authority.... it sounds so normal.”

“Sorry, if you expected him to work for the Ministry of Magic,” Mark snickers.

“No, normal is good. Normal is perfectly fine,” Jinyoung assures.

“Good, because all I can give you now is only normal.”

“I love normal.” Now it's Jinyoung who lifts Mark's hand to brush his lips across it.

A dreamy smile is his reward. And if they would do this the entire night, Jinyoung is fine with it.

“So I guess the kids had a good life after this? The bullies were gone, they won the talent show and they still had you.”

“It was still not perfect but it was a lot easier for them, yes. By the way, the kids start to grumble when you call them _kids_ nowadays. They say they are adults now. Tragic!”

“Wait... you are still in touch with them?” Cute doe eyes suddenly become round.

“Sure, we're friends. I admit that they grew up a lot, but I won't tell them,” Jinyoung says with a cheeky grin. “Wanna meet them soon?”

Mark slowly nods his head. “Yes, please. I want to see how they are doing and I want to apologize.”

“I'm sure they will be beside themselves with joy. Guess what, Jangmi and Youngjae are a couple now.”

“Ooohh, I'm so happy for them.”

“And Yugyeomie is head over heels for Sowonnie, but she says she doesn't need a man at her side.”

“Yugyeomie! That's sad. I want to pat my little giant's head,” Mark whines. “But Sowon always knew what she wanted and what not. Maybe she wants a girl at her side instead of a guy?”

“I'm not so sure that this is the reason. She says relationships are evil and feelings make people do dumb things.”

“Interesting approach,” Mark concludes, looking surprised but his eyes sparkle with amusement. “Wait, while we're talking about evil relationships, I can't believe you started something with Bae Jaehyun! Back then it was absolutely out of the question!” Mark starts to fuss. There is no amusement detectable anymore. “Where was all your integrity?”

“Mark, I missed you so fucking much, my integrity was busy crying in the corner while I made questionable decisions,” Jinyoung tries to defend himself, but his voice isn't more than a weak mumble.

“Ugh, sorry, I shouldn't judge you after I left you all alone.” His voice and his eyes are soft again after spotting Jinyoung's guilty looking expression. “But is there more I should know about?”

“I don't think so? I only ever thought of you, whatever I did, wherever I went, whoever I was with....,” His voice is trailing off. He averts his eyes when another wave of gloomy memories hits him. Memories which define the hardest time in his life.

“Jinyoung..... I'm sorry. We talked about so much but I still don't know how you were doing. How were you holding up?”

“Barely,” he whispers. It doesn't surprise him that Mark eventually caught on to it. Jinyoung avoided talking about it on purpose. No sad things should be discussed when the occasion is such a happy one. But now that Mark realized, there's probably no going back.

His boyfriend moves the snacks, which are scattered between them, out of the way to scoot closer to him. The hand, which was holding Jinyoung's, now wanders around his back and eventually finds a home on his shoulder. Mark's other hand quickly takes Jinyoung's neglected one instead.

“Tell me, Jinyoung,” he murmurs against his cheek.

“It's not a nice story,” Jinyoung mumbles, still observing his knees instead of his boyfriend. But he knows Mark's eyes are on him, watching every little movement.

“I don't care. I want to know how you were while I was gone. Please.” Jinyoung darts a glance at him. He can not only hear but also see that Mark means what he says. “You said you and Jaebeom grew even closer after that. Could he help you to cope?”

“Jaebeom is my best friend and I love him, so no offense, but absolutely _nothing_ could help me to cope. _Nothing._ I couldn't get out of bed for weeks. I cried every day at that time. It hurt so much and I was so scared to never see you again. After wallowing in pain for a small eternity, I started to attend normal life again. Except, nothing felt normal anymore. I felt paralyzed, kind of numb to everything. My mom said she felt like I was always in a dazed state. It wasn't easy for anyone around me. Time passed, but it didn't heal anything.”

“I'm so sorry, Jinyoung.”

That's exactly what he wanted to prevent, all this guilt and sadness, this sympathetic look. He doesn't want this from his precious boyfriend.

“Mark, it's not your fault. Please stop saying sorry. I know you tried everything you could to come back quickly. I wouldn't even have told you.... but you wanted to hear the truth, so....”

“Yeah....,” he whispers and pulls Jinyoung even closer.

“I don't want to find excuses for myself, but the thing with Jaehyun was some kind of distraction and it was a small consolation for a while.”

“You don't need excuses. Everything is fine.” Mark presses a gentle kiss to Jinyoung's cheek. “Uhm.... so you really had sex with him, huh?”

“Mark!” Jinyoung huffs and offers him a pout.

“What? I'm asking for a friend.”

“Yeah?! I think your friend doesn't want to hear more about it than necessary.”

“Ouch!”

“But you will always stay my first, you know?”

“Nope, that was the other Mark. High school Mark,” he nags, feigning sulkiness.

“Now you're getting petty.” Jinyoung scowls at him, and Mark can't hold his laughter anymore. He breaks into a fit of giggles, looking shamelessly cute.

“You know I'm joking, right?” Mark's hand on his shoulder makes a short journey to pinch his cheek. And it makes Jinyoung smile, even though he tries to keep scowling. “But now that I think about it.... woah.... what about this whole 'in high school we had another Mark and he resembled you' story?”

“I had to tell you _something,_ right? Without an explanation you would have called me weirdo again. It was nothing but self-defense.”

“I'm shocked. _Shocked_ I say, Park Jinyoung. Where did you learn to lie so well?”

“Oh you know, I met this blond fairy guy once and he was a splendid liar. Lied to me every five minutes. Learned everything from him. Yep yep.”

Now Jinyoung is smiling and Mark is scowling at him.

“This is _so_ not nice.”

“Facts, Mark Fairybutton, facts.”

“I just didn't want to ruin your innocent high-school-baby-self. I was protecting you.”

“Pfffff!”

“Back then, it wasn't easy to carry all those lies by myself.... until you've found out, I mean.”

“And how did I dare to uncover your lies?!”

“Oh yes, sassy baby. How I missed your sharp tongue.”

“You're changing the subject.”

“No? Of course not. I'm super comfortable with the subject,” Mark claims, being so little convincing that Jinyoung can't hide his smile. “But what about _your_ lies, Park Jinyoung? If you could only know how much I pondered over the other Mark. My biggest competitor! I mean, you never really were straightforward about him, but the way you talked about him.... I just sensed that he did something to you which caused the sadness in your eyes. Damn, I hated this fucker. Turns out this fucker was me.”

“Well, I have nothing to add,” Jinyoung purrs cheekily.

“I see, you're still sassy to the core. I like that. I always did,” Mark praises. He nuzzles his cheek and it makes Jinyoung giggle. But then another thought seems to flash through the ex-fairy's mind. “And wait, oh my god, the way you targeted my wrists to soften me up! Damn! It worked three years ago and it worked again! I feel like I'm in a relationship with an imposter.”

“Yeah, I'm really sneaky. I'm not such a good boy, like you think I am,” he says smugly.

“Just a little naughty, but still a superhero.”

“Oh no... that again.”

“I didn't forget it, my most fameless superhero.” Oh the grin on Mark's face, so unnerving and so adorable all at once.

“Lying all the time, but having a good memory. At least we have that,” Jinyoung continues to be sassy.

“At least _I_ didn't sleep with Bae Jaehyun.”

“How many times do you plan to bring this up?”

“Depends on how cheeky you will be,” he retorts, wearing a smirk.

“For your information, I just tried to find someone who made sex such an ethereal experience for me like you did. Needless to say, it was doomed to failure right from the start. And eventually I just got tired of searching and therefore tired of sex as well.”

“Oh... I think you might glorify our sex events a little too much.”

“No, I don't. It was mind-blowing! And now I know that it only can be mind-blowing with _you_. There's no way someone else can make me feel like you do.”

“But.... you are aware that I'm not a fairy anymore, right? No magic tricks, no glow and glittering, damn I can't even pick you up and fly with you during sex anymore. I'm completely useless now!”

It seems like Mark has a mini revelation in the most negative way right now. Jinyoung knows it's time to tone the playful bickering down.

“Wait wait wait! I'm pretty sure the reason why it felt so special and brilliant was not because of your fairy qualities but because of you being you, Mark. I enjoy sex with the one I love and I only ever loved _you_.”

“But Jinyoung, it's not only that. You're still your amazing self, the superhero I got to know. But I changed. I'm de-fairied now, which means I'm not good enough for you anymore.”

“You're crazy.”

“How could I have expected that my lousy human self would be good enough for you?”

The drooping corners of Mark's mouth are alarming. Jinyoung realizes he has to stop this somehow. “Hey calm down, okay? And don't offend me by saying the boy of my dreams is lousy.”

“But Jinyoung, I can't even let you cuddle under my wings anymore!”

“I can cuddle in your arms. That's pretty great, if you ask me.”

“And I can't protect you with magic anymore!”

“You can protect me with your kung fu skills.”

“You _know_ I made this up.”

“And yet it worked out pretty well up until now,” Jinyoung points out, shrugging his shoulders with a soft smile on his lips. But Mark's face still looks troubled, so he tries again. “Mark, when you smile at me, it still feels special. I don't care if there are blue sparkles or not. I mean sure, it was a cool special effect, but it isn't important. Because when you smile at me, that's all what it takes to create magic. And after all, this is what we wished for, right? We wished for you to become a human so we can stay together. So please stop being contrite. Okay?”

“Yeah, because there wasn't another option to stay by your side, but now..... I'm not a Graced One anymore, who can help you out of tricky situations.”

Mark's grip on him loosens. This tiny sign is already enough to let Jinyoung shiver with horror. He won't let it happen. He won't allow Mark to distance himself from him just because of baseless self-doubts. He quickly switches their hands' positions so that he can squeeze Mark's in his.

“Mark, I don't care. You have no idea how much I suffered without you. And you also have no idea how you brought my heart back into full bloom after I've found you again. I love you, magical or not, I love you, Mark.”

“You're so cute and so sweet.... the way you want to convince me that I'm not trash in comparison to you.”

“I don't know what you even talk about. You're still smart and funny and wonderful. Damn, you're even about to become a pilot. I mean wow, my boyfriend the pilot! I'm gonna show you off so much.”

Now the misery seems to fade, slowly but surely. The enticing twinkle is back in Mark's eyes when they find Jinyoung's. “You really accept me the way I am?”

“Of course! You're the exact same person I used to know, minus the glitter. But you don't want to tell me I was a shallow brat who only fell in love with a hand full of glitter, right?”

Mark huffs a laugh. His hand slips from Jinyoung's shoulder down to his waist, holding him tightly again. “No, I never would.”

“Good, because I would have.... at least _tried_ to beat your ass then.” Now Mark laughs for real. “You know, when you told me about your career as a pilot, I was heart broken at first.”

“Why?”

“It felt like I took your wings from you and now you miss flying so much that you just try everything to get it back.”

“You didn't take anything from me, Jinyoung. All you ever did was giving. You enriched my life so much. And it is as you said, I will fly again. It's different this time, but I will do it. So no regrets, baby.” He kisses Jinyoung's temple now, nuzzling his skin, before he murmurs, “All my human life I felt like I couldn't really go into relationships with my 100%. And now I know why. Because you owned my heart all along. It wasn't supposed to find another home.”

“I know this feeling only too well,” Jinyoung sighs. “Back then it felt like you took my life with you.”

“Oh baby....” Mark sighs and starts to pepper the entire side of his face with little kisses. And again it makes Jinyoung giggle like I kiddo. Eventually Mark mumbles against his cheek, “What are we even doing here? We go from informative to playful to sappy to sulky to gloomy to playful to sappy to dramatic to dumb and back to sappy. We're fools.”

“Yes, we are. But you're my favorite co-fool ever.”

“Same here. And I also have to give you a compliment which is long overdue. Wow baby, you look drop-dead gorgeous. Aging suits you well.”

“Are you trying to butter me up, Mr. Fairybutton?” Jinyoung purrs.

“Nope, only the truth.”

“Wait, can I still call you Mr. Fairybutton?”

“You can call me whatever you want, pretty baby.”

“Okay, liar.”

“Not that!” Mark grumbles playfully as he nibbles on Jinyoung's earlobe. It probably is supposed to be a mini punishment but it only makes Jinyoung giggle again.

“I can't believe we finally can be together. It feels surreal.”

“Yeah, I know,” Mark sighs. “While we're talking about being together, you're living with Jaebeom now, right? Just... you remember I announced to my sister that I wouldn't come home?”

“Are you asking me if you can stay the night?” Jinyoung questions cheekily.

“I even strongly insist on staying the night.”

“Good, I like that. But I think Jaebeom and Jackson are having a date at our apartment right now. Let me give him a quick call. And I can also tell him the good news.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

With his free hand, Jinyoung fishes out his phone from his backpack, very aware of Mark's eyes on him. With an amused smile on his lips he eventually asks him, “What are you looking at?”

“I wasted too much time. From now on, I will always look at you.”

The dreamy smile on Mark's face makes Jinyoung's heart flutter fiercely.

“I don't want to sound like a brat, but I've really missed having your undivided attention.”

“This ends today. I will be the damn best boyfriend for you. I will never let you miss another thing,” Mark promises. Jinyoung knows he means every single word of it. His smile keeps getting bigger the longer he looks at Mark. Eventually Jinyoung even has to look away. “What's going on, blushy baby? What's on your mind?”

“I just thought..... I just thought I'm sort of happy. And.... I really look forward to what the future holds. I didn't feel this way for a very long time. There was always a gloomy atmosphere lurking in the shadows of my life. Not having real friends, or rather _thinking_ I don't have real friends, and the bullying, and Jaehyun, and losing my special person right after finding him, my zombie life after that.... there was always something which didn't let me enjoy life. But right now, in this moment, everything is perfect. I actually think the future can be bright. And it feels so strange but also so good.”

The more Jinyoung smiles, the more the smile on Mark's face fades.

“I can't believe that such a strong and sweet person like you, had these thoughts all life long. This is heartbreaking, Jinyoung. People like you only deserve good things and-”

“But it's fine now, Mark. Don't worry. It was a long way, but now _I have_ all these good things. I have friends, great parents, I study what I love, no bullies in sight anymore, and the love of my life is my boyfriend. We should let the past rest now. Our future will be good.”

“Yeah,” Mark breathes, “whatever happens, we will make sure of it.”

Jinyoung nods his head, still smiling. And as he slowly sinks into the twinkling darkness in Mark's eyes, he knows he can't stay away any longer. He leans in and Mark's hand immediately comes up to gently cup his cheek. They are so close, but their lips are not yet brushing. Instead they stare at each other, reading the other's eyes, knowing exactly that they will forever be each other's home.

Jinyoung's mind shuts down. Slowly, he closes his eyes, ready to let his body take over. But just as Mark's pink lips slightly touch his, the phone which uselessly rests in his lap starts to ring, and their sweet moment ends much faster than he would have liked.

“Ugh! Stupid phone!” he mutters. “Huh? It's Jaebeom.”

“Oh yeah, you were in the middle of calling him, but now he beat you to it,” Mark snickers.

“Yeah, it seems my attention was directed elsewhere,” he points out sheepishly.

“Good, keep that up.”

“After I talked to my best friend a.k.a. the nominee for the award Most-terrible-timing-of-the-century,” Jinyoung quips and takes the call. “Jaebeom! I was just about to call you. Guess what happened!”

“Mark regained his memory,” Jaebeom answers casually, as if this isn't a big deal.

“What the..... how do you know?!”

“Well, I took a guess, just like you asked me to. And since Jackson also got his memory ba-”

“What the heck JACKSON REMEMBERS, TOO?”

“Yeah,” Jaebeom chuckles at the other end of the line. “It happened when I threw him on the bed and unzipped his jeans with my teeth.”

“Oh okay..... I didn't even ask for peculiar details, but here you are, sharing them for free.”

“Of course I share that. That's now an important part of our love story. We will always remember it. Isn't it romantic?”

“Our ideas of romance differ quite a bit, but I'm so glad Jackson is back as well.”

“And he's so gorgeous, Jinyoung! So gorgeous and so damn gay. I'm the happiest person on this whole fucking planet.”

“Good, very good.” Jinyoung isn’t sure if his friend's happiness can rival his own, but he doesn't feel the urge to bring that up. Instead he quietly feels happy for all of them. “So Jackson remembered when you made out with each other. It doesn't even surprise me,” Jinyoung teases.

“What do you mean?”

“Back then, you made him glow 10 minutes after you met each other. So if something would ring a bell, I guess it's this.”

“Sounds sensible,” Jaebeom snickers quietly.

“Have fun, and tell Mr. Sparklesby I said hello.”

“I'm gonna do that, later. He's sleeping right now. Our activities tired him out a lot.”

“No more information, please. I just hope you're either in your room or fully dressed, because Mark and I are coming home now.”

“Yeah, we're in my room in all our naked glory-”

“Too much information _again_.”

“Fine,” Jaebeom keeps snickering. God, he is so happy, Jinyoung can sense it from every word he says and every breath he takes. “Say hi to Mark from me. Let's all have breakfast together in the morning. Jackson is eager to reminisce with Mark about old fairy times. And also he wants to rant with him about some Sasian-oul dude. From all I know, he seems to be the asshead of the universe.”

“I think you're right about that. But wait a minute.... how did Jackson know Mark would also regain his memory today?”

“He just assumed it. He said you're both so in love with each other that it probably won't take much longer.”

“Astounding.”

“Yeah, my boyfriend not only has looks, but also brains.”

“Do I have to remind you that your brainy boyfriend insisted on practicing guy-kisses with me?”

“I'm gonna hang up now. See you tomorrow.”

And that's what Jaebeom does even before Jinyoung can laugh into the phone.

“You heard that?”

Mark nods his head. “I guess now everything is back together what always belonged together.”

“Yep!” Jinyoung agrees happily. He knows he stares at Mark again with this foolish, dreamy smile on his face, but it's not like he has any control over it. Also Mark stares back, so it can't be all that wrong. “Do you want to go home with me now?”

“Finally,” Mark chirps. “So... are we banging tonight?”

Admittedly, Jinyoung is amazed by so much bluntness, but it's not like the idea doesn't exist in his mind. “Uhm... that depends on you. We also could only cuddle for now, if you don't feel comfortab-”

“I was ready to bang you on the floor of a sandwich shop an hour ago. Please remember, for me it's been 21 years since I had you the last time.”

“Oh..... yeah.... that's also true,” Jinyoung chuckles, suddenly remembering how only Lynn's water attack could dissuade them. “Forget what I said. Tonight is the night. Finally some good sex.”

“You always know how to say the right thing at the right time,” Mark jokes. “So come on, snacky baby, let's pack it up.”

Together they collect their snack chaos and start to saunter towards Jinyoung's apartment, hand in hand. It warms his chest when he once again realizes that this is what it's going to be like from now on. Always.

“Hey Jinyoung! I have a family now!”

He glances at his boyfriend and spots the astonishment in his twinkling doe eyes. Another mini revelation, but a positive one this time, Jinyoung thinks.

“Yeah, I noticed,” he replies with a fond smile.

“Yeah... right, you did. Of course..... sorry. It's still a lot to deal with.”

“How does it feel? To not be all alone anymore?”

“Incredibly good. As a fairy, I couldn't even imagine how it feels when somebody takes care of you and always helps you when you can't deal with things alone. And now it feels like the most normal thing, or rather it _felt_ like the most normal thing. Now that I remember how it was without them, I won't ever take them for granted again. Not even Lynn.”

“She's a good sister, I swear. She loves you so much.”

“She's my sister, that's kind of her job,” he scoffs. “What is more astounding is that she liked _you_ so much right from the start. That's pretty unusual for her. She's famous for her suspicion. But _you_ put a spell on the dragon, my magical human.”

“Yeah sure,” Jinyoung laughs. “I didn't do anything much.”

“It's your personal magic. You're just so lovely,” Mark raves. “And now it all makes sense, why you were so happy for me that you cried, after I talked about my parents.”

“See? I'm not weird at all.”

“Weird or not, you'll always be my favorite human.”

They are exchanging fond looks and sweet smiles. It makes Jinyoung's heart beat run wild. He can't wait to see what the future has in store for them.

(*≧ω≦*)

“The kids still adore you as if you never went missing for a single day,” Jinyoung gushes as he puts the plates on the coffee table. Owning a proper dining table would it make classier, but the apartment is small and so is their kitchen table. For now, the coffee table will have to do.

“I was so worried that they would hate me for not saying goodbye to them or for what I did to you, but they were all so nice and sweet,” Mark marvels.

“They never could hate you. They are aware of what you did back then, how you protected them.”

“I'm glad they're doing so well these days,” Mark sighs as he places the napkins on the coffee table, a content smile playing on his lips.

“Yeah, but _someone_ is doing a little _too_ well,” Jinyoung hisses through gritted teeth.

Mark looks up to meet Jinyoung's eyes. There's confusion and a hint of surprise visible on his face. “What do mean?”

“It's obvious that everyone was very happy about seeing you again. And that's good. But I swear, if BamBam keeps clinging to you like this, he's bound to run into trouble. Spoiler alert: trouble is me.”

“Excuse me, _what?_ ”

“He was all over you the whole damn time. I already was a jealous mess in high school because of him. I never imagined that this would continue now,” Jinyoung huffs while he crosses his arms in front of his chest.

A faint smile touches the corners of Mark's mouth while there's still a certain degree of amazement plastered across his face. “You were jealous back then? Why?”

“Because he never left your side in school. And then he even wanted to invite you home to to do those posters for the talent show together! Remember?”

“Yeah, and then you suggested that we could make these posters instead, because apparently we would do such a good job together...... just to find out that we both couldn't do shit with those posters and I ended up using magic to finish them.”

“But they turned out beautifully, and that is what counts,” Jinyoung defends his immature decision. “And what also counts is that I could take you home with me, and BamBam couldn't.”

“Don't you think jealousy is a little uncalled for when it comes to Bammie? I mean, he's our _kid_.”

“I admit, maybe he doesn't like you in _that_ way. But his adoration for you has only grown, since he learned you're going to be a pilot. And more adoration means more touching, and more touching means a greater risk for him to lose his life.”

“Woah, my jealous baby is really scary,” Mark gasps, before a playful smile appears on his lips. “But also a bit hot.”

“Don't try to charm my pants off here.”

“I don't,” Mark assures. Jinyoung knows he's lying. “But you wouldn't harm one of our kids anyway, and the fact that I simply know this about you, makes you so damn cute.”

Yes, it worked, Jinyoung confirms silently as he feels himself giving in. “Aaahhh what are you doing to my heart, sneaky fairy boy?”

“Oohhh, blushy baby is back. No matter how much time passes, you'll always be cute,” Mark coos while Jinyoung is already flaunting a pout.

Mark is just about to comment on it, Jinyoung assumes, as the door bell rings.

“They are here!” he cheers, the pout being already forgotten.

“Oh damn, I'm nervous, Jinyoung. What if they hate me?”

“As if! And now hide in the kitchen. I want to surprise them.”

Mark still looks nervous but follows Jinyoung's request. It's a bit odd how jittery Mark feels, while Jinyoung is almost giddy with excitement. But he knows that Mark has nothing to be afraid of. This is going to be fine.

He hurries to the door, wearing the brightest smile when he opens it for his parents.

“Sweetie, you look gorgeous!”

“You say that every time we meet, mom,” he snickers before he kisses her on the cheek.

“And I'm never lying.”

“Oh mom.” Jinyoung rolls his eyes with feigned annoyance, but she only pinches his cheek.

“So this is the myth-enshrouded apartment,” his dad announces when he takes a first look around his living room.

“Myth-enshrouded? What kind of myth did you hear about? Most boring place in town?” he chuckles.

“Now that you mention it, it really doesn't look as exciting as I imagined it.” His dad pulls a face which makes Jinyoung laugh even more. “What are you even doing here all day long?”

“When I'm not studying or working? Just hanging out, I guess.”

“I don't know what this activity includes, but we will get you something fun for your birthday. A pinball machine or a PlayStation or something.”

“Uhm... okay? Do as you like.”

“Where is Jaebeom? I want to ask him what he would prefer?”

“Actually, there's a change of plans,” Jinyoung announces. He barely can hide the grin which threatens to force its way onto his face. “He won't have dinner with us today.”

“Oh that's a pity,” his mom says. “Does that mean you asked me to bring a whole chocolate truffle cake just for the three of us?”

“Not exactly,” Jinyoung answers, and now he can't contain his smile any longer. “I have a surprise guest.”

“No way!” his mom blurts out. “Is it your mysterious special someone?” Jinyoung eagerly nods his head. “You're going from not revealing any details about him to suddenly introducing us to him?” Jinyoung just keeps nodding and grinning. “This is so exciting! I can't wait! When will he be here?”

“He's already here. HEY MARK?” Jinyoung calls out.

His parents are confused for a long moment but then they follow Jinyoung's gaze and turn towards the kitchen door, where a shy looking Mark pokes his head out.

“Long time no see,” he softly says and waves at them.

Jinyoung enjoys to watch how his parents' jaws are dropping. With all his might he manages to contain a squeal of excitement, which works its way up his throat. But he actually has to stay on alert, because while she's processing the situation, his mom almost drops their dessert. Gladly he acts quick enough to relieve her of the chocolate truffle cake before it lands on the floor.

Slowly she approaches the other boy, mouth still wide open until she says, “Mark sweetie, is this really you?”

“Yes, Mrs. Park. I'm back.” He's still so shy. Jinyoung finds it adorable. He keeps watching the whole scene with a smile on his face.

And just a heartbeat later his mom wraps her arms around his boyfriend. Mark obviously relaxes right then and there when he accepts the warm greeting.

“Mark sweetie, you look so good and you're back, and of course you're the reason why our Jinyoungie smiles so much,” she starts to gush, while his father gives Mark a bear hug.

“I'm sorry that it took me so long. I wanted to come back earlier but.... it didn't work out like I wanted,” he murmurs.

“But... you're back for good?” his dad asks cautiously.

“Yeah, we both worked so hard to make this possible. Believe me, I won't leave Jinyoung again, not for anything in the universe.”

His parents look so relieved, there's almost a tear of joy slipping from Jinyoung's lashes.

“That's my boy!” His father hugs a very surprised Mark once again. Jinyoung hopes that his boyfriend wouldn't reconsider his decision to never leave again, after the meeting with his parents.

“I should have known it,” his mom declares. “When Jinyoungie started to carry all those pastries out of the house, I should have known already. It only could have been _you_. And that smile! He only smiles like that for _you_ , Mark sweetie. Let me tell you about this one time when-”

“Nah nah nah, I think it's not yet the time to tell embarrassing stories about me,” Jinyoung quickly interferes. “Because the time for this is actually never. Please take a seat, okay?

“Fine fine, my boy,” his father chuckles.

Jinyoung is exchanging a look with Mark. The relief in his eyes is obvious. He knows that now Mark can enjoy the meeting properly.

They all take a seat around the coffee table, his parents on the couch and the boys across from them, on two shabby armchairs. Mark is reaching over to hold Jinyoung's hand. It feels so natural and right, but Jinyoung's heart feels like it's about to burst out of his chest nevertheless.

“What are you cooking for dinner, sweetie? Do you need help with anything?”

“I don't cook, mom. I order.”

“Aaaahhh, I guess that's what students do, yes,” she says, a wry smile on her face.

“Good thing is that it's supposed to be here in a few minutes.”

“So did you already move in here together? Did you kick Jaebeom out of the apartment?” his dad guffaws.

“What?” Jinyoung squeaks.

“If you and Mark already moved in together, then you don't need the PlayStation, I guess. I can imagine pretty good what you're doing all day long.” The smug smile and the wiggling eyebrows on his dad's face are too much to handle. Heat creeps up Jinyoung's neck at the unnecessary innuendo.

“Oh my god,” Jinyoung keeps squeaking, while his mother now also bursts out in a hearty laugh. “You didn't just say that, dad! You... you...” He darts a panicked glance at Mark. But no, it's too painful, he can't look at him. “I can't believe you still enjoy to embarrass me in front of Mark!” Jinyoung whine-huffs.

“If you're embarrassed about it, it's your own fault, son. Also you act like we didn't know what you both were doing together up in your room back then.”

“You just made it 100 times worse!” Jinyoung whines. He turns into a flustered mess and sinks deeper into the seat. He wants to flee the scene, but he can't leave Mark alone with those two old crazy people. Who knows what they would start gossiping about next?! “I thought we already reached the peak of embarrassment mountain, but you just sent us up into space with your last comment,” he mutters.

“I'm working hard for my son,” his dad answers proudly.

His parents are still laughing to their hearts' content, while Jinyoung feels like crumbling to dust. But then he feels the squeeze of Mark's warm hand around his. And when he looks at him in all his misery, there are these soft, twinkling eyes which tell him that it's just oki.

“Humans are so weird,” Mark whispers with a charming smile on his lips. “But I came to like them pretty much. From now on we're going to have fun.”

And even though there are no wings and sparkles anymore, it's still so easy for Mark to make him feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was long and kinda wild. I hope our fave boys brought a bit magic to your lives, too. (*^^*)♡


End file.
